WHIPPOORWILL ARTS FELLOWS
Miles Quale
Miles Quale is a fiddler from Alameda, CA who plays and sings with depth beyond his years. Miles is accomplished in both bluegrass fiddle and jazz violin, playing with his own bands and as a guest on stages and at music festivals throughout the country and internationally. He is the fiddler for and a founder of bands Crying Uncle Duo, Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, and Jubilee. Recording his first album at the age of twelve, Miles and his bands have since released several full length albums and EPs. He has been fortunate to play with many of his musical heroes, including Darol Anger, Mike Marshall, Brittany Haas, and Country Music legend Marty Stuart. In 2019, Miles had the honor of playing at Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry. In 2021, he toured with band leader and guitarist, Dr. Pascal Bokar and his AfroBlueGrazz Band.
An accomplished contest fiddler, he won the 2019 Youth Grand Master Fiddlers Championship (Nashville, TN) and the 2019 National Fiddle Contest Jr. Swing Division Championship (Weiser, ID). In 2021 and 2020, Miles was nominated for the IBMA Instrumentalist Award; and, in 2019, he was a finalist at Freshgrass Festival’s Fiddle Contest.
Miles began Suzuki violin at the age of 3 and switched to bluegrass fiddle when he was 6. He began his studies with Catherine Manning of Manning Music in Berkeley, CA, and has since studied with Tristan Clarridge of Crooked Still, Chad Manning of The David Grisman Quintet, Grammy Award winning jazz violinist Mads Tolling, and Darol Anger.
Miles has taught fiddle at Manning Music School, Berkeley CA, since the age of 12 and he currently teaches jazz violin at Oaktown Jazz, Oakland. He has also worked as a teaching assistant for Freight and Salvage’s Freight Kids Music Camp and for California Bluegrass Association’s Kids on Bluegrass program. He plays a mean round of chess, is a blue belt in judo, and enjoys cooking for family and friends.
PROJECT: Study with Masters of Traditional Music around the world.
Miles Quale is embarking on a journey around the world to study with masters of traditional music. This will include musicians such as Antti Jarvela of Finland, ethnomusicology professor and banjoist Ben Krakauer in North Carolina, Roger Talrolth of Sweden, and Darol Anger, as well as musicians in India, Japan, and Indonesia. It shall culminate in an album with tracks recorded in each of the visited locations featuring the regional musician.
This project is the culmination of the experiences I had while traveling around the world to learn music. From India to Finland, “Wanderings” showcases my collaborations with each country's musical masters - both traditional and original works can be found in this album. During my travels I came to realize that it was the first time in my life that I had ever drifted from place to place with little to no strict schedule or plans, and so I embraced the wandering - I hope that while listening to this album, you may also feel the urge to wander. You can find Miles’ new record on his BandCamp below.