AJ Srubas

AJ is a fiddler and multi instrumentalist based in Minneapolis and touring regionally and nationally with various projects. AJ grew up in a musical Wisconsin household, grandson to a church organist. He latched on to the fiddle at age 10 after picking up an instrument his dad left sitting around the house. He taught himself to play it, often skipping class to squirrel away in his high school orchestra’s practice rooms to spend as much time with the instrument as possible. As a teen he started performing with his dad’s band and later with other area musicians. After moving to Minnesota to study violin repair, he resettled in Minneapolis where he became an integral member of the vibrant local old time and bluegrass scene.

His deep love for the instrument led to an interest in various fiddle styles. Initially an Irish player, he later discovered old-time music when his brother took up banjo. Soon after, he met the great Wisconsin fiddler Chirps Smith who introduced him to the lesser known old-time repertoire of the Midwest. Other influences on his old-time playing include Iowa fiddlers Dwight Lamb and Al Murphy who in turn played with Missouri fiddlers Cyril Stinnett, Lyman Enloe, and Gene Goforth. His old time fiddling is front and center in his work with old time bluegrass project Steam Machine and his duet project with guitarist and partner Rina Rossi.

As an old time and bluegrass player, AJ has won ribbons multiple times in both fiddle and band competitions at the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia, one the country’s largest old-time events, and the Mt. Airy Fiddlers Convention in Mt. Airy North Carolina.

In 2017 he was fortunate to be awarded a John Hugelen Scholarship to study Cajun music in Louisiana. Soon after returning, he joined Minneapolis-based Cajun band the New Riverside Ramblers, where he plays both fiddle and pedal steel. Several years after that, he teamed up with friends Blake Miller and Amelia Biere to form The Old Fashioned Aces.

A versatile player and teacher, AJ has performed and taught fiddle workshops at renowned traditional music cultural centers such as the Augusta Heritage Center, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, American Fiddle Method camp, Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association events, Minnesota State Fiddlers Association events, and many more in between. He taught one-on-one and ensemble classes to adults and older youth at the Center for Irish Music in St. Paul, Minnesota for many years and continues to teach privately from his home.

While interested in/playing bluegrass for some time, this interest began to take more concrete shape in summer 2019 after he joined a group of young players for a late night open mic at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association kickoff festival. He’s been developing his bluegrass playing ever since.

He has played on an ever growing list of singles and albums. He is grateful to be a Minnesota State Fiddlers Association grant recipient and a Folk Alliance Midwest official showcase artist with his band, Steam Machine.

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