Violin

For those of you who don't actually know me or my family, I come from a very musical household. Both my parents are professional classical musicians, my little brother plays the trumpet, my other little brother used to play flute and jazz piano! I've always sung, I think I started in my first choir when I was about 4 and I was in at least one choir every year from then until I left for South Africa (of course at that point, I picked up djembe drumming!). But I used to play violin as well. As far as I'm aware, I started having lessons when I was 3 and according to my very biased parents, I was quite good. However I was a very stubborn child, still am, and when I was 9 I gave up the violin in favour of the trombone (which only lasted a term...really I wanted to play the tuba). I remember it being quite a big deal, both of my brothers had already given up the violin in favour of other instruments even though I had been wanting to stop playing for quite some time. I think in the end, there was nothing my parents could do to persuade or bribe me with to continue.

Annoyingly, I have always kind of regretted that I didn't continue playing, I mean think how good I could be now! Not that I would ever admit it to my parents, they would take that as me saying they were right. 

About a week before I flew out, the three of us were having coffee somewhere and it was brought back up. My mum suggested I take it back up, practise simple folk songs while I was out here and play them to the kids.. I quite liked the idea, even if I knew it wasn't really possible to play the songs to the kids (they're quite grabby). The plan was that mum would find me a cheap violin from the stash she keeps under the piano for her pupils, and I could take it out with me, then if I didn't have room for it in my luggage to bring back, I could donate it to the home (I still have to get my djembe home). That plan changed when someone mentioned electric violins and I got all excited. I persuaded mum to buy me one on the agreement that I learn a different song for every pound it cost. (200 songs!). The electric violin I have is 'silent' so although you can hear it without headphones or speakers, it is considerably quieter.

I have a tendency to get wheeled out at events as the performing monkey. I'm not a huge fan of this, but I do it because it usually means I can call in a favour down the line! Before this week, I'd always been able to get away with singing at whichever events I was needed at, no biggie, I've been singing in front of people since I was 4, I don't particularly like doing it on my own, but I know I can. However this time, my manager made me play violin. There was no getting out of it. I have never been so nervous. I originally picked to slower pieces, but changed them when I realised that shaky hands made my bow wobble! I practised more in the last two weeks than I think I did for the last two months. Part of my nerves were because I hadn't played in front of anyone for more than 10 years, and then I was taught by probably some of the best teachers in Manchester, this time I was teaching myself. Of course you are always more critical of your self than others are and this wasn't helped by the fact that I was getting very frustrated that I couldn't make my songs sound as good as my parents (who have been playing all their lives and make a living out of it!). ANYWAY, I did it, the video I've uploaded is when I was practising (the lady talking is my manager) and although my fingers got a little bit drunk with nerves and didn't do what I wanted them to, the performance didn't go too badly. There were lots of mistakes and things I would have done better but aren't there always!

Enjoy :)