Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Silverman.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m an electric violinist and composer. My mission in life has been to evolve the violin and violin playing from its 19th-century classical tradition into a 6-string electric instrument that is more relevant and is inclusive of our contemporary popular music.
The reason for this new instrument is that I wanted to speak the musical language that my friends understood—rock and roll and the sound of the electric guitar. So, I started building 6-string electric violins that have the same range as the guitar and developed a new technique for playing it based on the way guitars are played. I’ve written several books about it and my “Strum Bowing” technique has been adopted by progressive string players and teachers all over the world.
I’ve also written 3 electric violin concertos which I’ve performed with symphony orchestras and I’m very proud to have been instrumental in the creation of new repertoire for this new instrument by some of our most celebrated living composers—John Adams, Terry Riley, Nico Muhly, Roberto Sierra, and others. I’ve performed and recorded with major symphonies in Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Disney Concert Hall, and many others, and have done a solo Tiny Desk concert for NPR.
I perform as a duo with fellow Nashvillian Roy “Futureman” Wooten and also have a podcast called “For the Greater Groove: The Future of Strings.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not a smooth road. In fact, it’s still under construction, haha. It’s been a 40-year research and development program, with a constantly changing parade of instruments and gear as technology and my needs changed.
But the most difficult challenge, in the beginning, was the fork in the road—to choose the uncharted path that I took rather than the much safer and more comfortable path in classical music that I could have taken as a Juilliard graduate. There was a lot of resistance from my parents and teachers to the idea of abandoning my classical future and “wasting my talent” playing in rock clubs. And after over 10 years of doing this with very limited outward success, the next challenge became staying the course rather than giving up.
But in fact, I had just given up, bought a house, accepted a college teaching position, and had a new baby when, as if in a movie, the phone rang with my big break—an opportunity to join the world-famous Turtle Island String Quartet.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am working on a brand-new electric violin concerto by Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra. It was commissioned by the American Symphony Orchestra and 4 other orchestras and premieres at the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center in NY in June. After that I’ll be working on a 2nd album with my son, who is a beat producer. Our first album is called “Beats and Jams.” .
And recently, I have become quite active as an educator, bringing my Strum Bowing technique to students all over the world through my Strum Bowing Groove Academy and books.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Covid gave me an opportunity to get off the road long enough to finally focus on my Strum Bowing online courses and books. So, it was kind of a blessing in disguise.
I think it made most of us reevaluate our priorities and careers. I was able to pivot into something else that I believe in, but the uncertainty of whether or not that shift would be permanent was unnerving.
But, as a freelance musician, I am so used to uncertainty and improvisation that it probably didn’t throw me as much as it did people with more stable careers.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@tracysilverman.com
- Website: tracysilverman.com
- Instagram: @tracysilverman
- Facebook: @TracySilvermanMusic
- Twitter: @tracysilverman
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tracysilverman
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5How49VcqYyIyxSXaGpwoo?si=jngzliVsRziRfBfF4JJJww
- Other: https://www.tracysilverman.com/podcast https://strum-bowing-groove-academy.teachable.com/p/home
Image Credits
Eric England
