|
Justin Branum is a fiddler, mandolinist, and guitarist from
Kirkwood, MO. Justin started playing the fiddle at age 12 and became
hooked on fiddle music after hearing records of Benny Thomason and Kenny
Baker. After playing Texas style and old-time fiddling for about three
years Justin heard the fiddling of Western Swing legends Johnny Gimble and
Keith Coleman and slowly began changing his focus towards Western Swing
and Swing Jazz.
Justin has won or placed in the top of many fiddle
contests throughout the U.S., including a second place finish at the
National Old-Time Fiddler’s Contest in Weiser, Idaho, 1st place
at the annual Branson Downtown Main Street Association fiddle contest in
Branson, Missouri, and first at the Ozark Heritage Arts Center fiddle
contest in “”, Arkansas. Justin holds an A.A. degree in music from East
Central College in Union, Missouri, where he studied jazz guitar and
taught through the college’s continuing education program. Justin is
currently studying at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri where
he is finishing his undergraduate degree in jazz violin performance.
Justin has performed in a wide variety of situations as a solo artist and
with different groups, and currently plays fiddle, viola, mandolin, and
guitar with the acoustic string band “Swing De Ville”. Justin is also
active as a teacher and clinician in the St. Louis, Missouri region. |
