1982 NEA National Heritage Fellow Thomas Jefferson Jarrell was born in 1901 in a remote area of Surry County, North Carolina. After retiring from 41 years as a road grader, Tommy began making albums for County Records. Through his albums and hospitality towards the many young musicians who came to study with him in Mt. Airy, Jarrell became one of the most influential old-time fiddlers of the 20th century. 

This Zoom class will focus on Tommy Jarrell's legendary fiddle style, particularly the iconic bowing that distinguishes his playing. Check out the video below for a sample. Matt Brown studied with several of Tommy's students and is excited to delve into Tommy's repertoire and techniques with Louisville Folk School students worldwide. The class will be conducted using the following tunings: ADAE and AEAE. We will not be using standard (GDAE) violin tuning. 

This remote class is perfect for fiddlers who enjoy learning by ear and are willing to tune their violin to ADAE and AEAE tunings. 

Each class will be recorded on Zoom and available to stream on-demand even after the session has ended. Sheet music will not be provided.