Continuing Lecturer and Director, Old-Time String Band Ensemble
David Bragger is a performer and teacher of old-time music on a variety of early American stringed instruments. He is a world-renowned fiddle instructor who teaches workshops and private lessons around the globe. David is the artistic director of the Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddlers’ Convention which is now in its 52nd year. David is also the founder of the Old-Time Tiki Parlour where he documents the greatest living musicians of traditional American music.
Bragger was a professional music video director for Sony Europe and Atlantic Records while earning his B.A. in Religious Studies from UCSB. After graduation, he spent time in India recording the folktales and music of itinerant Indian street magicians. He then went on to study the art of old-time fiddle and banjo with his mentors Mel Durham and Tom Sauber. This led to visits around the country with many of the remaining old-timers including Clyde Davenport, Joe Thompson, Benton Flippen, Will Keys and Charlie Acuff.
For the past decade, David has released thirty DVDs and CDs through Tiki Parlour Recordings and continues to bring prominent traditional musicians out to Los Angeles for concerts, workshops and master classes with the UCLA Old-Time String Band Ensemble. He strongly believes that our local community should have the opportunity to interact and learn from these traditional masters. David is currently producing a modern anthology of American folk music.
David also plays fiddle, mandolin, banjo and guitar for his traditional old-time stringband Sausage Grinder and recently recorded “King’s Lament,” the first ever fiddle duet album in the old-time genre. He can also be heard on recordings and at live shows with mainstream rock artists including Bad Religion’s Greg Graffin and Social Distortion. David regularly contributes music to Paula Poundstone’s podcast and he performed the featured fiddle and banjo music in the Hollywood western “Gone are the Days.” David also composes experimental electronic music and has two modular synth albums set for release in late 2024.
