Larson joins Musician’s Hall of Fame
BY ASHLEY THORPE
Writer
North Dakota native and Washburn resident Orlin Larson has been surrounded by music all his life. Now, he’s being honored by being inducted in the Dakota Musician’s Hall of Fame.
Growing up in Minot, North Dakota, Larson’s parents were both musically inclined. He grew up with the mindset of a musician, a fiddle in his hand, the sounds of country and old time playing in his ear.
“My dad told Mother, ‘When Orlin turns four years of age, I will start teaching him fiddle,’” Larson said. “He was really good at the violin, but he passed away when I was just about three.”
With his dad’s passing, Larson did not learn an instrument until he was 15 years old, when he bought his own harmonica and learned to play it himself. In high school he learned guitar, where he played music for his Future Farmers of America group at special events with friends. But two instruments weren’t enough for Larson.
“Wanting to do more, I got my Dad’s fiddle from an uncle and started learning it,” Orlin said.
Altogether, Larson is now able to play the guitar, violin, mandelin, harmonica, piano, and four string banjo, though the violin is his primary instrument. Larson expressed desire to learn to play brass instruments such as the trumpet and saxophone but didn’t have much opportunity growing up.
