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Active - Public

Violin

I'm a professional touring musician who's played music since age 7, led musicians' workshops and camps since 1998, and has taught private lessons for 10 years. My teaching is focused on helping adult musicians improve and enjoy their playing. My basic philosophy is that music is not a competition, that music is best when played with others, and that you're never too old to start. We'll aim for both good technique and enjoyment of playing, but if we had to choose one, enjoying your instrument is the top priority. I try to make your lessons fun, to challenge you without giving you more than you can handle, and to be absolutely responsive to what you want to learn. Years ago, I had an amazing voice teacher. She never asked me to do anything I found difficult, and my singing kept improving anyhow. That's the kind of teacher I aspire to be. I want you to get better on your instrument without it being difficult or frustrating.

MY BAND: When I'm not teaching, I tour professionally with the folk/world music duo, Simple Gifts, where I play fiddle, hammered dulcimer, old-time banjo, bowed psaltery, and recorders. Before Covid, we toured in a 10-state area, played about 100 concerts per year, and performed at major venues such as the Smithsonian, National Theater, Regina Quick Center, and Riviera Theater. Our repertoire includes a huge variety of genres: old time, bluegrass, country, Irish, Scottish, French Canadian, Klezmer, Greek, Romanian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Scandinavian, and more. You can see a video sampler of our concerts below.

MY MUSIC CAMPS: About 25 years ago, I established two weekend-long musicians' camps: Folk College and Greenwood Furnace Folk Gathering. These events, programmed and overseen by me, have included internationally-known musicians such as John McCutcheon, Rory Block, April Verch, and Bruce Molsky. I've taught workshops such as How to Jam, Hearing Chord Changes, Klezmer Tunes, Simplified Versions of Common Tunes, Tunes That are Cooler Than Hard, Backing Up a Singer, and How to Play Tunes You Don't Know. My reason for starting these music camps is the amount of competitiveness I've seen at other events. I wanted to create events that would be friendly, nurturing, and encouraging, with all instruments playing together.

MY RECORDINGS: I've recorded six CDs with my band, Simple Gifts. The most recent, "Journeys: Music of Many Lands" won a Global Music Award. Our previous album, "Crossing Borders," won an award from Indie Acoustic, and the one before that, "Time and Again," won a Crossroads Music Award. 

MY TEACHING STYLE: I'm very open to teaching you whatever you want to learn, but am also ready to guide you if you aren't sure. I don't follow a specific teaching method. Everyone gets taught differently, a combination of what you need and what you want. I only teach adults, so my teaching style is focused on the way adults learn. I especially enjoy teaching older adults. I believe in learning by ear, rather than reading sheet music, because that way you use your ears, rather than your eyes, to learn. But I understand some people need sheet music, and I'm ok with it. I think everyone that plays should understand the music theory behind it, but I've seen many eyes glaze over when I've started talking about theory, so I'm sensitive to that and introduce it in small bites that relate directly to whatever you're playing. And again, above all, my top priority is that you learn to love your instrument and get great joy and satisfaction from playing it.

This class is for intermediate and advanced violinists who want to learn to fiddle. We'll look at bowings, ornaments, double-stops, and rhythms that give fiddle tunes that "fiddley" sound. Any violinist can become a fiddler!


Old Time Tunes

Banjo

Fiddle

Dulcimer

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

I play fiddle, hammered dulcimer, banjo, bowed psaltery, and recorders in a professional touring folk/world music ensemble. Take a look at our videos for samples of our playing.

Simple Gifts

I founded and coordinate Folk College, a fun, friendly weekend of workshops and jamming for all folk instruments and levels.

Folk College

I founded and coordinate Greenwood Furnace Folk Gathering, a fun, friendly weekend of workshops and jamming for all folk instruments and levels. This event has a particular focus on Pennsylvania's music heritage.

Greenwood Furnace Folk Gathering

Before I switched over to playing just fiddle styles, I was a serious classical violinist and have played in many orchestras.

Nittany Valley Symphony

I've played violin since I was 7 and have a strong background as a classical violinist and orchestra player, but my true love is fiddling. I play and teach a wide variety of fiddle styles, including folk, oldtime, Irish, country, Klezmer, bluegrass, Eastern European, and more. 

If you have questions, please contact me. Scroll to the top of this page and click on "Ask," right beside my picture.

I cannot praise Linda Littleton highly enough. I have been taking lessons on the hammered dulcimer with her since June 2020 and I was a complete beginner when we started. She is thoroughly knowledgeable, an incredible musician on many instruments, and always supportive and patient. She is a fantastic teacher and a wonderful role model. Strongly recommended!

Only my first lesson, but I already feel like I have gained so much!  Linda did a wonderful job of assessing my needs and figuring out the next steps.

I’ve had one lesson with Linda so far and she was fabulous.  I’ve owned my instrument for years now but have always been intimidated by it.  She made it more accessible and I’m super looking forward to the next lessons!

Linda was fabulous.  Looking forward to the next lesson!

Linda is truly amazing. She is welcoming and warm and teaches at a pace that is attainable but also challenging. Her ability to make me feel comfortable and confident is what is so special about having a lessons with her because that allows you to grow as much as possible in your time with her. Working with Linda has been an absolute joy and I highly, highly recommend taking lessons from her.

I just had my 2nd violin lesson with Linda and am thrilled I chose her !!! I wasn't sure about the online thing but it works great !!! Linda is very kind, down to earth and a super teacher !!! I couldn't be happier !!!

I owned my hammered dulcimer for several years but live in a rural area and couldn't find anyone who could teach me to play. I've now been taking online lessons from Linda for nearly 2 years and feel like I accidentally hit the jackpot. She is a superb musician and teacher (on many instruments), is focused on the needs and goals of each individual student, and is unbelievably patient and supportive. I live a hectic life and often start my lesson feeling guilty that I haven't practiced enough, but without exception, Linda quickly reminds me of the joy of making music and my time with her is always one of the happiest parts of my week. In addition, she's really skilled at teaching online and I'm surprised at how much I've been able to learn with this approach. Highly recommended!

Linda is a fantastic teacher.  She makes learning a musical instrument fun.  
During each lesson I learn a new tune.  If I do not have a tune or song that I want to learn, then Linda suggests one.  Each of her selections has been a gem.  The tunes or songs that she suggests are those typically played in jams.  At the end of each lesson, I have learned a new song or tune by heart.   And, I am ready to attempt to play those tunes at a jam.
I am not certain where she gets all her patience -- but, it is infinite.

She was very encouraging and stretched my abilities while taking the lesson at a relaxing pace.

Old Time Tunes - Violin Class

About Linda L.

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