MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'fiddle'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:48:56 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2752016&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fviolin-playing-robot.html Okay, dammit. It's not just the banjo players that will be losing gigs. Looks like fiddlers had also better keep an eye on their rear-view mirrors.I'm almost afraid to look at YouTube these days, lest I see an X-ray-reading robot looking back at me... (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2752016 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 04:09:00 +0100 2752016 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2662564&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F08%2Fpower-of-pentatonic-scale.html An old friend (and discerning reader of this blog) pointed me to the following video, wherein Bobby McFerrin demonstrates the power of the pentatonic scale at the World Science Festival 2009.As Mr. McFerrin shows, the pentatonic scale is a great scale for improvisation -- it's hard to sing a wrong note. On a guitar, just noodling around on the simple 1-4, 1-3, 1-3, 1-3, 1-4, 1-4 pentatonic pattern is a fine way to spend a happy hour or two. It's impressive how many classic rock and blues licks fall out of this simple scale.Pentatonicity is also the basis for a number of great old-time fiddle tunes, of which Billy in the Low Ground is an examplar. This version of BITLG shows the Blue Ridge Mountain Boys flinging a tasty torrent of notes about a pentatonic C scale.I'll have to ask our physi... Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2662564 Sun, 02 Aug 2009 08:06:00 +0100 2662564 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2588309&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Ffuture-of-folk-music-is-in-great-hands.html My day job is teaching radiology to residents and fellows. This educational model of young whippersnappers learning from the geezers is also pretty common in the world of fiddle music.It's a huge pleasure to see young radiologists and young musicians coming into their powers, especially when one sees them making diagnoses or playing tunes that even the geezers find challenging.This was definitely true last week at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. It was hard to hear some of the young musicians play without feeling like a giant truck was coming up fast in my rearview mirror. Here are two examples of the many talented teens at Fiddle Tunes:First, listen to Emma Beaton (cello) and Tatiana Hargreaves (fiddle) play the living heck out of this old fiddle tune...Finally, watch the 204 Trio,... Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2588309 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 09:28:00 +0100 2588309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2584260&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fcapo-cool-tool-for-musicians-or.html If you are a musician, the word "capo" brings to mind the device that we guitar and banjo players clamp on the necks of our instruments to change key.However, Capo also refers to a new and rather swell Mac program for learning tunes from recordings. Capo does this by playing a torrent of music at a speed slow enough for one to comprehend. Here's the really cool thing: it does this without changing the pitch of the music!The following screenshot shows Capo playing "Heather Bonne", a swell tune I snagged last week at a jam session at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes.As a fiddle player, I learn a lot of tunes from field recordings made at festivals, jam sessions and concerts. Although I'm a quick study, some intricate or especially twisty tunes are a lot easier to learn when slowed down ... Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2584260 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:33:00 +0100 2584260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2580341&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F07%2Fback-in-saddle-again.html I spent much of April through June preparing for many talks at many meetings, which involved 3 trips to the East Coast in one month. Great fun, but a bit draining.To recharge, I just spent all of last week with my son at the wonderful Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, WA.I first went to Fiddle Tunes back in 1985, and have been back many times since. This year I spent my mornings in a truly excellent swing fiddle workshop by Kevin Wimmer, afternoons in an exhilirating bandlab led by the Red Stick Ramblers, and evenings until real-late-thirty jamming with pals. After a week of this much fun, going back to work was actually kind of restful.Besides spending many hours pushing an analog stick back and forth over an analog sound box, I spent a few hours recording some highlight... Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2580341 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:56:00 +0100 2580341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2076739&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fhappy-new-year.html I'm going to spend the next few days being as non-radiological as possible.My family and I will be spending this time at a wild rumpus of folk music and dancing with 120 other pals.  We'll ring in the new year with singing, dancing and a ton of fiddle music, while someone else cooks and washes the dishes.  Best wishes for a great new year to all. (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2076739 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:28:00 +0100 2076739 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1993384&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Frsna-survival-kit-no-3.html Another tactic for surviving the RSNA meeting: getting some exercise.One of my favorite ways of exercising in Chicago is to visit the Chicago Barn Dance Company's great Monday night contra and square dance.After a long sedentary day at the meeting, a group of us are planning to go and shake the McCormick Place dust off our feet by dancing to hot, live, old-time fiddle music at the Bethany Church hall. As the Barn Dance site suggests:Start the month off right by dancing to the fine old-time fiddling of Aubrey Swift, leading Grand Ol' Aubrey. Jo Mortland presents a mix of squares and contras guaranteed to lower your brain age by years.Newcomers session is at 7:30 pm. Hope to see you there. (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1993384 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:17:00 +0100 1993384 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1889272&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fhoedown-throwdown.html This short video was posted to YouTube about 10 days ago by mikehoye, who says:I got off the subway at Bloor and Yonge last night, and this is what I saw; some buskers with a fiddle and a banjo were playing, and these four other guys just started to pop it and lock it, apparently just for the hell of it. It cheered me right up.Cheered me up too. (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1889272 Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:02:00 +0100 1889272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1873771&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F10%2Fbanjo-center-of-brain.html I've used my banjo in a number of venues, but I've never brought it in to work. Looks like some Nashville neurosurgeons have beat me to it.Bluegrass legend Eddie Adcock recently underwent brain surgery to treat a hand tremor. During this procedure, his surgeons placed electrodes deep into his brain to stimulate the thalamus at just the right spot to inhibit his tremor.Alas, the banjo center of the brain is not an area well-known to neuroanatomists. To pick the optimal location for the electrodes, the surgery was performed under local anesthesia while Eddie played his banjo. He was thus able to update the surgeons in real-time as to whether the tremor was better or worse, letting them get the lead placement just right.The BBC has posted some remarkable video and audio clips recorded during ... Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1873771 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:32:00 +0100 1873771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1710851&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F08%2Flast-hurrah-of-summer.html My family and I are heading off later today to the wilds of northern Idaho for a last hurrah of summer. We'll spend the week there camping, swimming, fiddling and folk dancing with pals from multiple states.While I'm gone, several posts will automatically appear here via the ghostly hand of Google.Have a great week! (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1710851 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:54:00 +0100 1710851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1600749&cid=t_108939_115_f&fid=37661&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnottotallyrad.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F07%2Ffluoro-off-fiddle-on.html Happy 4th of July!I'm off with my fiddle for a week of vacation with my family in a place where the Internet doesn't shine.We'll be spending the week at a music and dance festival in the foothills of California. About the only thing digital going on there will be fingers playing fiddles, guitars and other musical instruments.In my absence, I've scheduled a few posts to pop up automatically in this space.Type at you soon... (Source: Not Totally Rad) Not Totally Rad blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1600749 Sat, 05 Jul 2008 05:23:00 +0100 1600749 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329957&cid=t_108939_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F03%2F26%2Fmental-health-is-medicines-second-fiddle%2F Why does mental health always play second fiddle to health concerns? From ERs to health insurance reimbursement, mental health concerns always seem to get the short shrift. Nobody cares, nobody pays them much attention. Mainstream family physicians and medical doctors nearly always look at a mental health concern as something akin to a rare STD or skin condition, and always seem somewhat uncomfortable talking about them (”It’s all in your head!”). And yet, the facts remain the same — mental health concerns affect more than 1 in 10 Americans in any given year. This is no small number. There is no other condition that is so prevalent and yet is so widely scorned. Ignored. Lost. Forgotten. Year after year, little changes. When I speak to my medical brethren, I ofte... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329957 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:25:07 +0100 1329957 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=513810&cid=t_108939_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F03%2F31%2Fsearching-for-stillness%2F Filed under: All Cancers, Environment, Cancer SurvivorsWhen I sit still in the middle of the day, I fall asleep. I'm not sure if it's a side effect of cancer or of life in general, but as a result, I keep myself moving at all times. I'm always doing something -- writing, emptying the dishwasher, packing a school lunch, reorganizing cabinets and closets and drawers. There's always something to fiddle with, something to keep my body from crashing into a deep sleep.My little boys have been playing with Lego all afternoon. For hours they have been content and happy and full of imagination. They've built flying boats and castles and pirate contraptions. My wish: to just sit and watch them, to absorb their words, their sound effects, their interactions. I tried to just sit and watch, tried to ho... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=513810 Sat, 31 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 513810