New Kids Album
New Kids Album

Since becoming a father 3 years ago, I've become intimately aware of so many classic songs for children. The appeal of these songs span many countries and centuries, and there is a simple genius to the best of them. Making this album, ROUND AND ROUND: Kids’ Songs for Mixed Ages was a cathartic experience, reclaiming songs I’ve heard a million times by engaging with them creatively and exploring their limits. My hope is that kids can enjoy listening to these familiar songs in a new way, while also providing some extra interest for the parents in the room, as well. :) What makes this album particularly special was the collaborative partnership with avant phonograph artist Barry Rothman, who brings a one-of-a-kind sound palette and instinct for mischief.

RELEASES JUNE 10 on Bright Shiny Things. Pre-order yours HERE! Makes a great gift :)

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Mike Block
Debut of KID'S Guided Practice Sessions!
Debut of KID'S Guided Practice Sessions!

For string players 10-14 years old, each monthly unit will focus on “Exploring Creativity and Improvisation” through a variety of styles, techniques, games, practice routines, and assignments. Four amazing teachers will be featured throughout the season: Trina Basu, Mellisa Brun, Taylor Morris, & Lauren Rioux! Your kid can enroll in the month(s) that work best for your family's scheduling:

February: Saturdays at 12p ET
March: Sundays at 4p ET
April: Sundays at 12p ET
May: Saturdays at 4p ET
Enroll now at www.GuidedPracticeSessions.com/kids

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Mike Block
Mike Block Trio February tour of Northeast + Wintergrass Festival
Mike Block Trio February tour of Northeast + Wintergrass Festival

I've been looking forward to hitting the road again with Joe K. Walsh and Zachariah Hickman for a while, and we're doing everything we can to make sure it's safe to go out to these upcoming shows! We just recorded an album last month, and have a lot of new songs and tunes to share with you all :) A bunch of Northeast dates, and ending the month at one of my favorites, WINTERGRASS FESTIVAL in WA. Refresh my website tour calendar for details. Hope to see you out there soon :)

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Mike Block
New "Planispheres" Album Release, Dec 3!
New "Planispheres" Album Release, Dec 3!

My new album, "Planispheres" is out TODAY on the label Bright Shiny Things! The fully improvised collection of solo cello performances were captured at a warehouse space in Brooklyn, NY with a live audience of just one. "Stunning and intimate, Planispheres grasps at what it means to connect with another person, in a time when personal connections seemed almost impossible."

You can get yours HERE, or on Bandcamp!

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Mike Block
Guided Practice Sessions Fall Season begins!
Guided Practice Sessions Fall Season begins!

GUIDED PRACTICE SESSIONS are starting up again! www.GuidedPracticeSessions.com

This September-December features 9 world-class teachers from Mike Block String Camp, each offering a different unit of weekly LIVE Guided Practice Sessions (all recorded for later viewing).

These aren’t typical workshops, but more like a regular group class at the gym, or a Peloton workout for musicians!

Each GPS leader brings different repertoire, style, and skills to work on, and each unit has a custom curriculum that progressively builds on the participant needs and interaction during Q&A sessions. We’ll all come out the other end with new skills, new inspiration, and new friends!

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Mike Block
Yo-Yo Ma records cello part I wrote for a Metallica Cover sung by Miley Cyrus
Yo-Yo Ma records cello part I wrote for a Metallica Cover sung by Miley Cyrus

I was lucky enough to get to write the cello part for Yo-Yo Ma to record on a cover of one of my favorite Metallica songs sung by Miley Cyrus! If that wasn’t enough, Elton John played piano on the track, and the Grammy Award-Winning producer Andrew Watt spoke ridiculous sentences to me out loud that included phrases like “can you line up with Elton’s piano riff here?” #PinchMe
So, um, yeah … I’m pretty honored to contribute to this epic EPIC track … Yo-Yo is featured more in the second half, but the whole track is well worth a listen everyone sounds amazing. It deserves the over 10 million plays it’s already got in Spotify and 4 million views on Youtube….
https://open.spotify.com/track/43YC4iYmSsYueViJR4dBGA?si=cb6533947429400e

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Mike Block
New album review from Gramophone Magazine / Songlines
New album review from Gramophone Magazine / Songlines

"Mike Block is one of the bravest, most intriguing musicians on the American fusion scene".... quite an opening line from the new review from Gramomphone Magazine/Songlines for my duo album with Sandeep Das, which they say has "an extraordinary variety of sounds, moods, and styles form just twin Indian hand drums and a cello". You can sget YOUR own moody album here: https://www.brightshiny.ninja/where-the-soul-never-dies

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Mike Block
New Music Video/Single released with Sandeep Das
New Music Video/Single released with Sandeep Das

Watch our cello/tabla version of this Appalachian fiddle tune HERE!

You can pre-order the whole album HERE!

‘Glory in the Meeting House’ is a traditional Appalachian fiddle tune, learned via Kentucky fiddler Luther Strong, who recorded it for Alan Lomax in 1937. In addition to adapting the fiddle melody for the cello, I changed the tuning of my instrument to create low drone strings in the key of E, to broaden the rhythmic texture surrounding the melody. This track also marks the the first time in Sandeep’s career that he has experimented with using two separate Tabla's, tuned to different pitches, creating an untraditional percussive texture with multiple pitches. We hope you enjoy this rocking tune, with a a beautiful video by Luke Zvara.

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Mike Block