When you play a violin piece, you are a storyteller, and you're telling a story.

I hope I will always have the chance to play the violin.

The violin sings.

I do basically what a conductor does with a baton, except I also play along with the orchestra. So I have to juggle the roles of playing the concertmaster; sometimes I drop the violin and wave my arms.

When you play for ticket-holders, you are already validated. I have no sense that I need to be accepted. I'm already accepted.

What drew me to the violin was mastering the instrument technically, which I'm continuing to do. You want to push boundaries, to not always be in your comfort zone. If you don't, you get stale. So you have to find areas of growth.