The Orchestra Teacher Podcast

Episode #91: Fiddling in the Classroom with Kiana June Weber

In this exciting episode of The Orchestra Teacher Podcast, we welcome Kiana June Weber—renowned American-Irish fiddler, educator, and entrepreneur—to discuss her inspiring journey and how teachers can incorporate fiddling into the classroom.

A visionary educator and thought leader, Kiana has built a career that blends traditional and modern approaches, breaking down barriers in music education. From performing on world stages with Barrage, Gaelic Storm, and Come From Away, to mentoring students across the globe, Kiana’s innovative methods help develop technical mastery, creativity, emotional intelligence, and personal growth.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

🎻 The benefits of integrating fiddling and alternative styles into string education

🎻 Ways to engage and inspire young musicians through crossover styles

🎻 strategies for implementing fiddling into your orchestra program

Whether you’re a classroom teacher, private instructor, or performer, this conversation will provide fresh ideas and practical tools to expand your students’ musical horizons. Tune in for an engaging discussion with one of today’s most dynamic and forward-thinking string educators! 🎶

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Kiana June Weber was born and raised on a farm just outside the small town of Chelsea, Michigan. She began playing the piano at the age of 5, but soon after, she begged her parents to let her play the violin. At the age of 7, she started taking Suzuki violin lessons and by 14, she was playing in the most elite youth orchestras and ensembles in Michigan.

After graduating high school, Kiana attended the University of Michigan (UM) where she studied violin with Stephen Shipps. While at UM, she continued to gig with many bands while exploring alternative styles on the violin. In 2007, Kiana formed her own acoustic trio called the Daughters of Newgrass, which performed original compositions of a diverse fusion of rock, Celtic, Bluegrass, and Jazz. In 2009, Kiana’s studies were put on hold when she was recruited by the world famous violin troupe, Barrage.

Kiana toured with Barrage for three years and appeared in theaters, festival stages, and television specials all over the North America, Central America, Europe and Asia. One of the highlights of her travels was performing on Beijing TV’s televised Chinese New Year Special to an estimated 50 million viewers. After Barrage Kiana returned to her studies and graduated at the top of her class at University of Michigan’s prestigious School of Music. In the fall of 2012, Kiana hit the stage as the newest member of the famous Irish band, Gaelic Storm.

In 2019 Kiana joined the touring cast of Tony Award Winning musical Come From Away. Playing fiddle with this production, Kiana brings her expertise of Celtic music and on-stage charisma to this first national tour.

Website: kianajune.com

Instagram: instagram.com/kianajuneweber

links to upcoming events with Kiana:

https://www.kianajune.com/upcomingevents

Two free workshops that your listeners might love!

* “From Zero to Fiddle in 60 minutes” Designed to bring classical players on their fiddling journey. Completely free. All instruments are welcome.

* “The Folk Orchestra” A practical and hands-on workshop discovering how to actually use and program fiddle tunes.

-- REFERRAL LINKS --

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https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com/the-orchestra-teacher-podcast/