Sara Caswell is a Grammy-nominated jazz and classical violinist. Through her technical facility and gift for lyricism, she is fast becoming one of today’s foremost jazz violinists. Sara began playing violin at age 5, made her orchestral debut at 15, earned degrees from Indiana University and Manhattan School of Music, and amassed over 100 awards in the jazz and classical competition worlds. Sara joins The Playful Musician to discuss her teaching techniques, including how she teaches classically trained violinists to improvise. We chat about her love of the transcription process and how she got back into it during COVID-19. Sara shares her musical influences, how they’ve shaped her as an artist, and about her time playing with Bruce Springsteen. We discuss her new found pandemic hobbies, pottery and baking. Sara shares her practice tools, what she’s currently listening to, and her plans for the future, including the release of a new album.