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Cliff Self has lived, taught, and made music in Port Townsend since 1997. In his thriving, fun-filled music studio he teaches violin, viola, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, songwriting, and music theory to students ranging in age from three to ninety two. The styles of music he teaches include: classical violin and viola, Irish, Gypsy, Old Time, and Quebecois. Cliff believes that learning to play music should be easy, safe, and fun. During this corona virus shutdown he is offering remote lessons on Facetime and Skype.

For many years he was the fiddle instructor at Peninsula College and the violin teacher at Jefferson Community School, and has taught classes and workshops at the Washington Old time Fiddlers Association, Crossroads Music, the Community YMCA, and the Orcas Island Fiddle Festival.

Cliff has performed music throughout the U.S., Canada, Japan, and Taiwan. He was stage manager and violist with the Mantovani Orchestra for six years; has played with the West Virginia Symphony, Johnny Mathis, George Benson, Andy Williams, and Pat Boone; and has performed in such interesting venues as Disney World, Kennedy Center, and a Presidential Inauguration. Upon moving to Port Townsend he took up the fiddle and formed a number of string bands: Karma Jar, Shirazz, The Cliff Notes, and The Unknown Fiddlers.

His musical education began at the age of six when his mother taught him to play on a ¾ size violin that had once belonged to his grandfather, a Julliard-trained violinist. Cliff took a degree in music from Stetson University, then moved to New York City to study with concert violinist Ruben Varga and has been making music in one form or another ever since.