At age 10, Laura learned to play mandolin and guitar from paternal grandmother and regional oldtime musician, Betty Orshaw. By age 13, she had recorded the highly acclaimed fiddle project, The Grizzly Bear Chair and in 2005 released, Grandad's Flying Squirrels, a compilation of Southern Old-time, Bluegrass, Celtic fiddle tunes and vocals.
Laura performs regularly in a duo with her father, Mark. She also fiddles with two premier Northeastern bluegrass bands, The Lonesome Road Ramblers and Plexigrass. Currently a junior sociology major at Penn State University, Laura balances her college schedule with performing and teaching.
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What folks are saying.........
"this is a fiddler of seemingly boundless energy. With finesse, style and a contagious joy, Orshaw attacks each piece"
--Dirty Linen Magazine
"an extremely talented musician with unlimited potential"...
" Laura Orshaw has firmly established herself as a significant emerging artist in the arena of traditional American music."
--Bluegrass Unlimited
"Laura Orshaw is that rare player who certainly has the chops, but also plays with great emotion and drive...Aside from her obvious ability as a player it quickly becomes apparent what a fine accompanist her father is. His drive matches hers for an exciting listening experience...Besides her talented fiddling, Laura is also a fine singer...Laura Orshaw is certainly a player to watch."
--Sing Out!
"From the first bow of "North Carolina Breakdown" to the last note of "Soppin' the Gravy", Laura Orshaw's second CD of old time fiddle tunes is joyfull energy....Her own tunes capture the essence of old time and stand well beside chestnuts such as "The Star of Munster" and "Flying Indian".... Laura sings "The House Carpenter" in a rich, strong voice as pleasing as her fiddling and well suited to the old time themes....Laura Orshaw serves up an excellent feast of old time and old sounding tunes with energetic but tasteful playing."
--Bluegrass North Magazine
"Laura also has a very beautiful singing voice and when asked to sing, enthralls any audience she is performing for.....she is a very accomplished young lady and could stand beside such fiddlers as Bonnie Rideout or the Scottish fiddler Ally Bain, to mention but two."
--Stuart Garratt, Trance-Media2000, UK Radio Promotions
Laura Orshaw is one amazing musician. Her second CD, Grandad’s Flying Squirrel, at the ripe old age of 16, is a joy to listen to. First, it’s obvious that she loves old time, traditional fiddle music and it’s just as obvious that she has taken care to listen to it and maintain its essential feel. This teenager understands our musical roots better than many musicians twice her age. She is not flashy but her knowledge of the feel and the actual technique give her a confidence that leaps out of the speakers. She makes the trickiest licks sound easy as a spring waterfall--the grace is in the naturalness. Her father, Mark Orshaw, provides a solid rhythm behind Laura. Both of them understand something very basic that eludes many other old timey musicians. Mountain music was played by people – farmers, loggers, miners. It was their release from a hard day’s or hard week’s labors. For some it was their way of communicating with all things eternal. It was their way of expressing joy, sadness, heartbreak, hope and loss. It was also a way to excel and many took joy in creating and executing a tricky lick, a lightning fast lick, a new way of playing a note. Music was their creative outlet. Laura and Mark approach the music in the same spirit. There’s never a sense of showing off. There is always a sense of performing this music with love and a true appreciation for its joyful, haunting, and pioneering spirit. Even the two songs Laura wrote for this album stay in the spirit of tradition, rural life and family. The songs on Grandad’s Flying Squirrel sound like a couple pretty talented folks sitting on the back porch playing for the family and neighbors on a Sunday afternoon, and that’s the highest compliment I can give. Check this album out, not only for the excellently rendered songs, but to watch a very talented person as she continues to explore her art.
--Dennis R. Miller Published Author, Producer and Radio Host of My Country heard weekly over radio station WHGL, Troy PA.
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