by Kathryn Lockwood
As I put my 5 year old daughter to bed, with Perlman playing Kreisler softly on her stereo, I'm transported back to my childhood. I recall the time when I listened to music in bed and I'm reminded of that fantastic feeling of falling in love with music.
What a privilege it is to be able to listen to music filled with lyricism, virtuosity and pure beauty. Who wouldn't want to be part of that life? Music makes us feel things and transports us to a realm of completeness. It elicits a huge range of responses and in doing so, keeps itself alive. As a young child falling in love with this kind of music, you can't ever imagine a life without it.
Even when listening to Perlman playing Kreisler today, I still aspire to be able to play great music and to enjoy it for the rest of my life. This makes me wonder if those nights falling asleep to the old cassette player was my turning point and what led me to a career in music. Perhaps it is a series of nudges that turn us gently but with certainty.
I decided to ask the Lark girls some personal questions about their turning points and how they fell under the spell of music...
1. When were you first aware and exposed to the string family? |
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Deborah Buck |
Deborah Buck "My father was a violinist so I grew up hearing him play many different pieces on the violin, especially Bach's Solo Sonata in G Minor. I used to roll my eyes because he played it so much!" |
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Basia Danilow "Hard to say. My family is from Poland and I grew up listening to all kinds of music in addition to classical. I remember loving Polish & Russian folk music and especially, gypsy tunes. Some pretty awesome fiddle playing! In elementary school, my friend played the violin and her mother happened to be a violin teacher who became my first private teacher." |
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Kathryn Lockwood "My older sisters played the violin so probably aware of the string family since one becomes "aware" of anything. Music was always going on in our house between their practice and my parents teaching oboe and clarinet in the music room (which was right next to the living room)." |
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Caroline Stinson "It's farther back than I really remember distinctly, but I was 2 when my sister began playing violin. Given that I wanted to do anything and everything she did, my parents finally built me a cardboard violin and when she moved up a size, I got her hand-me-down. I know that even from a very young age, our family went to hear the Edmonton Symphony, and the ballet when it was on. My sister and I would move through the crowded lobby in winter having a contest to see who could touch the most fur coats. Really soft ones or white fur counted for more!" |
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2. When and how did you start? |
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Basia Danilow |
Deborah Buck "I started what is considered on the late side at eight with a student of my father's. I quickly moved on to Michael and Irina Tseitlin and was truly steeped in the Russian school method of violin training. I stayed with them from nine-seventeen years of age." |
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Basia Danilow "I began piano at 3 and violin quite a bit later, at 10. I preferred the sound of the violin as it is so close to the human voice and also the size. It was great to be able to play an instrument that felt like an extension of one's own body." |
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Kathryn Lockwood "I didn't start the violin until I was 9. Mum really wanted this particular teacher (Elizabeth Morgan) who had a long waiting list. Ms Morgan felt it was ok to wait since I had been exposed to the violin for so long. My older sister (older by 8 years) practiced with me every day when I did start lessons as she wanted to practice teaching on me. " |
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Caroline Stinson "I finally began cello at 3.5 or 4 through the Talent Education Society, a Suzuki organisation, in Edmonton with Diana Nuttal. In addition to teaching the Suzuki books, Diana made many of her own music reading and compilation books; I still have those and use them with younger students. I studied with Diana until I was 8, the same year I attended the International Suzuki conference in Japan, where I met Mr. Suzuki." |
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3. Was there an experience, a turning point that, in hindsight, led you to a career in classical music? |
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Caroline Stinson |
Deborah Buck "I always wanted to be a great concert violinist and never even questioned that this was my life's main mission. I loved it then as I do now. Funny thing is, I never thought that I would ever be in a string quartet and never thought I would be so passionate about my teaching career and directorship of a major summer music school program." |
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Basia Danilow "My sister and I both seemed to be arts inclined. We took all sorts of lessons, ballet, piano, violin, art etc. I became fairly proficient at all of these but loved violin best. My high school was full of talent and quite a few violinists and violists went on to professional careers. I remember thinking, "If they can do it, I can do it!" Plus the very practical observation that strings occupy the largest number of chairs in an orchestra so... better chances for a job!" |
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Kathryn Lockwood "That's hard to say as these things happen gradually. I always just expected to be a musician as the rest of my family was, but there was a period of time when I rebelled. That was actually a really important step as it made me realize that I would miss music. I then became serious about my viola." |
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Caroline Stinson "My teacher in high school's playing was my greatest inspiration - Tanya Prochazka. And her stories of moving to Paris as a teenager captivated me. For me, breaking out of the age-based hierarchy of my youth orchestra, auditioning and winning the principal spot at the Interlochen Arts Camp was the moment I realised I could really do this - and well! I never thrived in (or practiced enough for) the Canadian competition scene (too busy doing theatre and musical theatre) so my first tangibly strong support came when I moved to the States." |
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So now that we have some personal answers from the Lark girls, it leads me to wonder: What will be the turning point of some of our future musicians? Will something that I do, whether it's a formal or an outreach concert, or even a CD be some young string players turning point? I sure hope so.
Lark performs outreach concerts as part of Lark About Town whenever we can and I run an annual String Day at UMass/Amherst where I teach. My hope is that these outreach events actually reach out, influencing a future musician or an avid future audience member. Perhaps Lark About Town or String Day will be "the" turning point for someone?
I want to share my love of music. I want others to experience the indescribable sensations that music evokes, to experience the musical essence that helps one fall under the spell of great music. Even if just one or two of the 80+ String Day participants, aged between 8-18, fall under the spell and go home inspired to practice, I will be happy.
Laurence Vittes of Gramophone Magazine described the album as: “Impressive… Breathtaking and Brilliant…” concluding the review by saying: “The recording’s three-dimensional reality, captured at SUNY Purchase’s Performing Arts Center, sounds so magnificent that the whole musical experience actually matches the florid imagination of Andrew Waggoner’s booklet-note."
