Album Notes

Ari & Mia are a soulful and spirited acoustic accompanied duo exploring the traditions of Southern Appalachia, Northeastern fiddle music, and the realm where their own compositions cross paths with older traditions. Their hearts also lie with early American swing, jazz, and bluegrass music. Combine this with their bold approach to song and tune-writing and their interpretations of traditional music and the result will open hearts and dance floors. Ari & Mia's "intricate arrangements, soaring harmonies, infectious grooves and intuitive improvisations combine an old-time sensibility with a truly adventurous spirit," says Hankus Netsky of New England Conservatory.

Featured guests on their brand new album, "Unruly Heart," include grammy-nominated Sarah Jarosz, fiddler extraordinaire Eden MacAdam-Somer of the band Notorious, Rebecca Wudarski and Owen Marshall on guitar, Ben Krakauer on banjo, and Ari and Mia's sister, Shoshana Friedman.

Ariel Friedman, a classically trained cellist from the Boston area, is one of few musicians to be challenging the boundaries of cello-playing. She graduated from Northwestern University in 2008 where she studied cello performance with Hans Jorgen Jensen, and received a masters of music in Contemporary Improvisation from New England Conservatory in 2011. A winner of ASTA's 2009 Alternative Styles Award, she is in current exploration of American roots traditions, early jazz and standards, and in composing songs and tunes influenced by her diverse musical tastes. She performs, tours, and records with Scottish National Fiddle champion Hanneke Cassel, is a member of the Boston-based trad band, Long Time Courting, and plays with New England's highly acclaimed fiddle band Childsplay. She teaches at various fiddle camps during the summer and has her own private studio.

Mia Friedman is an energetic and eclectic fiddler, singer and banjo player. She started playing suzuki violin at an early age, and made the switch to more traditional fiddle styles when she was 12, leaning towards Scottish, Appalachian, and French Canadian tunes. Spending summers at fiddle camps around the states, she fell in love with these old traditions and learned from some of the masters. Now in her third year at New England Conservatory, Mia is writing songs and playing music that blend these traditions with jazz, classical and avant-garde influences. She recently won the 2010 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for her song "Across the Water" in the folk category. Winner of the New England Regional Scottish Fiddle Championship in 2006, she now plays with Ariel in many venues and dance halls around the Northeast. Mia also sings with the neo-soul group, "The Love Experiment."