Veteran fiddler Mike Hartgrove called yesterday to let us know that he will be leaving Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver as of March 17, 2007. His future plans include pursuing a career teaching fiddle full time.

Mike said he has been teaching lessons near his home in Charlotte, NC and the number of students he teaches has increased to the point that he started considering a switch to full time teaching around the first of the year.

Teaching is working out real well for me. I have a large number of students at this point and was considering teaching full time anyway. When Terry announced he would be leaving the band next month, it just seemed like a good time for me to make the change as well.

In addition to teaching private lessons, Mike is also available as an instructor for workshops and camps.

Mike indicated that he also anticipates doing some freelance work both in the studio and on the stage, in addition to his teaching schedule.

I expect we’ll be hearing a great deal of Hartgrove’s tasteful fiddle playing on many a bluegrass record in the coming years.