Bruce Molsky facts for kids
Bruce C. Molsky is an American musician born in New York City in 1955. He is known for playing the fiddle, banjo, and guitar, and for his singing. Bruce Molsky mainly performs old-time music, which is a traditional style from the Appalachian mountains.
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How Bruce Molsky Started
When Bruce Molsky was young, he first liked blues music. Later, while studying engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York starting in 1972, he fell in love with old-time music.
A famous fiddler named Tommy Jarrell greatly influenced his playing. Bruce even visited Tommy Jarrell in North Carolina in 1976 to learn from him. In 1990, Bruce Molsky recorded music with another artist named Bob Carlin.
Bruce Molsky's Music Career
Bruce Molsky has released many albums under his own name. These albums are on record labels like Compass Records, Rounder Records, and Tree Frog Music.
He has also played in several music groups:
- Fiddlers 4: Bruce played with Darol Anger, Michael Doucet, and Rushad Eggleston.
- Mozaik: Since 2002, he has been a founding member of this group with Andy Irvine and Dónal Lunny.
Collaborations with Other Artists
Bruce Molsky has worked with many other musicians:
- In 2008, he played with Norwegian hardingfele player Annbjørg Lien on her album Waltz With Me. He also joined her for concerts.
- He was a guest artist on Andy Statman's album Old Brooklyn in 2011.
- In 2015, he played banjo, fiddle, and guitar, and sang on Anonymous 4’s album 1865: Songs of Hope and Home from the American Civil War.
- He was also a guest on Mark Knopfler's 2015 album Tracker, where he played banjo, fiddle, and guitar.
Teaching Music
Bruce Molsky is also a teacher. He is a faculty member at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He teaches in their American Roots Music Program.
Bruce Molsky's Hobbies
Bruce Molsky and his wife, Audrey, live in Beacon, New York. Besides music, he enjoys baking. During the pandemic, he even started a Facebook group called "Fiddle and Dough" for people who like both. He has also collected fountain pens for many years.
