2 hours? 4 hours? 8 hours? 12 hours? How much is enough? Is there such a thing as practicing too much? Is there an optimal number of hours that one should practice?

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Randy Sabien might have been born in Illinois, but the acclaimed jazz violinist and music educator has become a true Wisconsinite through the years. Making his home in the Hayward area, Sabien has blended the sounds of jazz, classical melodies, rock ‘n’ roll and Western swing across his career. WPT captured Sabien in concert in Wausau with his Fiddlehead band — a talented group centered on its three-fiddle lineup. Before the broadcast premiere, watch a couple of Web extra songs from the performance below. And, hear directly from Sabien in our behind-the-scenes interview about his earliest influences, including Bob Wills, Asleep at the Wheel and Stéphane Grappelli, the creation of his Fiddlehead Band project and the power of music education in everybody’s lives.

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Dedicated to the art of violin for over 25 years, Amanda has held many positions in both the performance and teaching field.  She received her Masters in Music Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with the esteemed Linda Cerone, and her Bachelor in Art and Science from Texas Tech University under the tutelage of Dr. John H. Gilbert.

As an orchestral violinist, Amanda has performed with many orchestras around the country including: The Orlando Philharmonic, The Lubbock Symphony, The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, The Shreveport Symphony and the Sarasota Orchestra.  She has held leadership roles in the Abilene Philharmonic, the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra and the Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater where she now spends her summers.  After moving to the Gulf Coast area, Amanda spends most of her time in the opera pit performing with the Sarasota Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, Opera Tampa, and The Palm Beach Opera.

In addition to her busy performance schedule, Amanda fosters her deep passion for string education through private studio, classroom, and master class teaching.  She began her education career as the orchestra director for Lake Highlands Middle School in Dallas, Texas.  While there, she also worked with beginners to advance students throughout the greater Dallas area teaching master classes, All-State clinics, and sectionals for the Loan Star Youth Orchestra.  After leaving the school classroom, Amanda had a large private lesson studio of over fifty students in the McKinney ISD.  Relocated to the Gulf Coast, Amanda became an adjunct orchestra director at Booker Middle School and conductor of “The Chamber Strings” within the Sarasota Youth Orchestra.

This season Amanda is looking forward to growing her private lesson studio, performing throughout the region, and collaborating with the members of the FASE board to bring new ideas and the Bornoff technique to students and teachers around the country.