love from both parents. The most I noticed culturally
you play?
at the time was my father's love for English football,
My training and performance background was solely
and the copious amounts of delicious Asian food my
within the classical genre but my enjoyment of music
mother prepared for the family! As I look back it is
to listen to has always branched out much further. I
clear that both my parents’ strong sense of family and
have always had a deep love for soul, the blues,
my father's very British hard-work ethic come from
R&B, hip hop, jazz, disco, rock and vocal house
their own upbringing, and made deep impressions in
music… Pretty much all genres of music. I love
the way I choose to live my life now.
beautiful sounds and I guess that is how I would
describe how I discovered my own style. I love
Your musical talent was recognised early, and you
creating music that pulls on the heartstrings. They
were performing solo with symphony orchestras
say that the violin is the closest instrument to the
at the age of nine. How did you handle the
sound of the human voice. The purity of sound.
demands of training and performing at such a
When I play it's not about what I’m doing
young age?
technically, it's about letting the honest beauty of
I remember loving music, loving playing the violin,
sound speak from the heart. It's about telling a story
and absolutely LOVING performing on stage (this
and taking the listener on a journey. Hopefully the
thrill has never diminished!) These feelings joined
listener enjoys the story!
with the belief that everyone at my school was also
doing 5 hours a day practice on whatever they were
You have played in the string section for several
excelling in, and that the option to choose to not do
television shows, including X Factor, Australia's
all this training never entered my mind, made the
Got Talent and Dancing with the Stars. What
whole experience feel completely normal at the time!
impact have these television appearances had for
Don't get me wrong, there were lots of tears, tantrum-
your career?
throwing and bribery via chocolate, but the world I
Working on these shows is what gave me my
get transported to when playing my violin and the
opportunity to be offered a record deal and
absolute magical sensation of performing on stage
eventually record my first solo album! The
always made all the long hours of hard work
Australasia President of Universal Music happened
worthwhile.
to be watching an episode of Dancing with the Stars
where I was performing a solo on stage with the
How did you discover your own style as a
dancers and contacted the Seven Network the very
violinist? How would you describe the music that
next day. I found myself on a plane to London two