Playing Since: 1973
Experience Level: Intermediate

KenR has made 2 recent additions to Fiddle Hangout 

Interests:
[Jamming]

Occupation: entrepreneur

Gender: Male
Age: 74

My Instruments:
fiddle, guitar

Classified Rating: (0)
Rate this Member

Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 5/6/2025
Last Visit 6/5/2026

Ken has had a diverse and fulfilling career as a Landscape Architect, spanning over 40 years. He has worked for prestigious organizations such as the DOI National Park Service, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. In 1973, while studying Landscape Architecture at Iowa State University, Ken began to learn to play the violin by ear. His musical journey continued many years later when he took formal violin lessons from Ken Pitts, the former orchestra director in Fort Worth, Texas and a founding member of the Light Crust Dough Boys. Ken is a versatile creator and performer who relishes the process of composing and playing his original tunes on violin. He also enjoys improvising and playing complementary parts across a variety of genres, including folk, bluegrass, country, Celtic, and light rock, often collaborating with friends. Every Wednesday, Ken and guitarist Ron Parker can be found at the Iron Wolf Coffee House in Davis, Oklahoma, where they perform their original tunes and a few cover songs. Their collaboration on original music has been ongoing since 2003. For the past 15 years, Ken has also been an organizer and weekly performer at the large Centennario Restaurant in Sulphur, Oklahoma. The group, which typically consists of 3-7 musicians, features a mix of instruments such as guitar, mandolin, 5-string banjo, double bass, harmonica, and fiddle along with vocals. Ken treasures his 1830s Charotte-Milott violin, made in Mirecourt, France. He acquired this cherished instrument from a retired farmer who inherited it from his aunt, a violinist in the Omaha Orchestra and an avid collector of antique violins. In 2024, Ken invented an adjustable magnetic system designed to hold a violin or viola securely on the shoulder. He filed a USPO Provisional Patent for this innovative device. Encouraged by fellow violinists, Ken founded VHold LLC in 2025 to produce and market the Violin Pro-Hold product.