Sharla Franklin

Sharla Franklin is an acclaimed Violinist performing in the DFW area. She has a diverse set of projects varying from Irish, Jazz, & Bluegrass to Space, Steampunk, Electronic, DJ improv, Tribute bands & Solo events.

Sharla started at the age of 3 trained in the classical and fiddle. In classical, she studied the Suzuki Method, won 1st place for every solo & ensemble competition, & performed in the New Conservatory of Dallas Orchestra for Youth.

Her fiddle background started when her family started a Western Swing band at age 5, twin fiddling with her uncle. She also participated in the Bob Wills Fiddle Camp, Randy Elmore Fiddle Camp, Red Steagull Competition & the National Old Time Fiddlers Competition.

She later joined theater pits for musicals from 2009-2012. She performed music for Into the Woods, On Your Toes, Phantom, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Evil Dead the Musical, Cannibal the Musical, Crushing Grain, Dark of the Moon, & Plan 9 from Outer Space, & The Hobbit at the Dallas Hub Theater, Garland Civic Theater, Grapevine, & Lakeside Community Theatre. 

Ever since 2012 she’s been performing in 20+ bands. 

Accomplishments

  • Placed in the Red Steagull Fiddle Contest & The National Old Time Fiddlers Competition.

  • Trained at Bob Wills Fiddle Camp and Randy Elmore Fiddle Camp.

  • Won 1st place awards for every Solo & Ensemble competition throughout Lakeview Middle School & The Colony High School.

  • Concert Master as freshman in the senior orchestra at The Colony High School.

  • Assigned 1st violin section of The New Conservatory of Dallas Orchestra for Youth.

  • Placed in All District & All Region Orchestras.

  • Chosen to participate in Denton’s Rock Lottery 2013. (Top local musicians assigned to random groups to create 4 songs to perform & compete at the end of the day.)

  • Chosen to participate in Denton’s Elk River Sessions 2018. (Top local musicians assigned to random groups to create, record, compete, document & raise funding for MS over 3 days.)

  • TheDJvsViolin- performed for the “Frozen Lounge” following Idina Menzel’s Meyerson performance in 2015.

  • TheDJvsViolin- opened for the Game of Thrones Hodor actor Kristian Narn’s “Rave of Thrones” at the Bomb Factory in 2016.

  • TheDJvsViolin- performed for Adele’s private Halloween party in 2016.

  • TheDJvsViolin was featured in Vogue Magazine for an Art Excursion in Houston in 2017.

  • TheDJvsViolin honored as Best of Big D by D Magazine in 2018.

  • StarParty won Denton’s Art & Music Awards Best Electronic Act in 2018.

  • Levi Cobb & the Big Smoke won Denton’s Art & Music Awards Best Folk/Americana Act for 2017, 2018, & 2019.

  • Helium Queens won the Dallas Observer’s Best Live Show and Best Experimental Act in 2019.

  • Video clip playing a glowing violin featured in the Bill & Ted’s Face the Music movie ending credits scene in 2020.

    Interviewed on Season 2 Episode 2 of Andrew Sherman’s Dallas Famous Podcast in 2023.

Spotify “Dallas Famous” Interview: