Fred Levine has been playing stringed instruments
since the age of 9. After playing acoustic folk-rock guitar throughout his
high school years in the late 60’s, he took up classical guitar and
violin. He later studied performance and string teaching at Loyola University
in New Orleans. He then embarked on a career as a Suzuki violin instructor
for young children where he briefly taught in the New Orleans area followed
by a stint at the New England Conservatory Prep School.
Increasingly bored by the classical music world, he shed his classical music identity, moved to a small town in rural Massachusetts, and joined a country band as an electric bass player. He played the bar rooms for 6 years before he became exposed to old-time- string music, and added mandolin and banjo to his repertiore. He moved to North Carolina in 1985 where he has played banjo and bass in old- time, jug, swing, jazz, rock, and Dixieland bands. He frequents old- time string band festivals and also plays in the award-winning band, Cuttin’ Up Gumby.
