SHAUNCEY ALI

Shauncey Ali is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator, author and entrepreneur who blazes a creative path in the acoustic music world.  A classically-trained violist turned self-taught fiddler, Shauncey's voice is rooted in traditional Americana and Celtic fiddle styles. The result is a unique sound that has been described as "...precise, thoughtful and unexpected."

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Shauncey has performed, recorded and taught in the U.S., Canada, Italy, Spain and Scotland.  His most recent project, the Shauncey Ali Quartet, integrates the vernacular of a traditional fiddler, versatility of a classical violist and chops of an experienced improviser in a compelling tapestry of original compositions. He is an original member of the Katie McNally Trio, who released their second full-length album Now More Than Ever in 2020, and class-grass ensemble Graminy, who released four recordings of original music from 2010-2018.

 

In 2012, Shauncey created MadFiddle, a youth development program that has become an anomaly in the music education world.  He also appears as an artist at string camps, workshops and schools, and maintains a private studio.

 

Ali's recent release,  Backcountry Ramble: A Collection of Original Fiddle Tunes is a tune book and companion cd featuring all original compositions.  His newest publication, MadFiddle Vol. 1: Fiddle Tunes & Folk Songs, is an instructional tune/songbook that showcases selections from the curriculum he developed for MadFiddle.   

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As a 3rd grader, Shauncey began playing viola in the school strings program.  After years of classical instruction, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he played in the symphony by day and in clubs by night.  In 2011, Shauncey appeared with Peter Gabriel and the New Blood Orchestra to headline Summerfest, one of the world's largest music festivals.  In 2014 he won the RockyGrass fiddle contest and was featured in Fiddler Magazine in 2017.   

 

Past and ongoing collaborations also include artists such as The Old Tin Can String Band, SweetGrass and Chicken Wire Empire (bluegrass), The BriarPickers (old-time), Blake Thomas and Hayward Williams (singer-songwriter), Buffalo Gospel (country/Americana), WheelHouse, Kadence and Fever Marlene (rock), Gaines and Wagoner (jazz/Americana) and Graminy (class-grass).

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Shauncey is the creator of Strapsey, offering a decorative line of instrument case straps for stringed instruments.  Strapsey supports some of the most inspiring musicians and prominent music dealers in the country.