Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Vendor Feature: The Pink Fiddle


Voilinist Amanda Gerttula and her musicians are quite a team! Amanda works with each client to select the perfect music for their wedding. The Pink Fiddle is also on the preferred vendor list of many local venues.


Amanda was brought up in Florida near Orlando. She started playing the violin in the 5th grade, and had great string programs during junior and senior high school. She earned a Bachelor degree in Music Education and performance, and a Masters in Music Education and Performance. Amanda attended the Spoleto Festival in Spoleto, Italy, a festival in Graz, Austria, and has taught in the public schools in Cork, Ireland, and in Pinellas County, Florida.

From 1981-2000, Amanda played in the Florida Orchestra, under the baton of Irwin Hoffman, Jahja Ling, Skitch Henderson, Bobby McFerrin, Aaron Copland, and Joseph Silverstein. She has performed with Roberta Flack, Johnny Mathis, Carol Channing, the Smothers brothers, and many others. Amanda is included on VH1 Behind the Music in a feature about Marty Balin pf Jefferson Airplane fame, and can be seen playing next to Marty during a concert sequence. Amanda has performed solo with Vassar Clements, John Hartford, Bobby McFerrin, and Marty Balin (founder of Jefferson Airplane), along with local groups such as The Women’s Blues Review, and Full Moon Rodeo.

Amanda started improvising in 1993, when she bought a Fishman transducer for her violin. Every week, she would go out and jam with various bands in the area, playing blues, jazz, new age, rock, and pop. In 1995, she bought a pink MIDI Zeta violin, and started using a Boss SE-70 effects unit. In 1998, Amanda acquired a handmade 5-string violin made by Robert Scoville.
In 1998, Amanda a purchased a laptop, and started playing MIDI files using the program Cakewalk, and using the music to play for weddings, receptions, and concerts. She has recorded all the music to an MP3 player, and can perform many hours of classical, jazz, new age, and pop music.

In 2000, Amanda resigned from the Florida Orchestra after 19 years. She started her new business in 1998 and it has prospered.
Her prices range from $200 - $900 depending on your needs and number of muscians you require. She even sells a CD of traditional wedding music on her website so that you can listen to each song to select the music that's perfect for you!


The Pink Fiddle
727-577-9554
http://www.pinkfiddle.com/
pinkfiddle@tampabay.rr.com

All images courtesy of http://www.pinkfiddle.com/.

1 comment:

Rebecca Zoumberos said...

I LOVE the Pink Fiddle!!!