Issue No.21 - Polo De’Marco Magazine Issue No.21 - SPECIAL EDITON(clone) | Page 153

Q1. At what age did you
first pick up the violin?
And, what was your
inclination of this sound?
CS: The sound I heard on the
radio transported me and
inspired me to start playing.
I was only 3 years old when I
picked up the instrument.
Q2. Classical music is
used to increase brain
enhancement where
it involves ‘dopamine
secretion’ the feel good
hormone and ‘transport
synaptic function’ which
increases the learning
and memory of the brain.
In your personal and
professional opinion do
believe this to be true?
And, what was the first
music that you listened to
as a child that you felt was
good?
CS: Well, I certainly feel that
music has an affect on your
mood and emotions which
is why I started playing. For
me personally, it was the
Beethoven concerto which had
that affect on me and opened
up that feeling and instinct
response to music which began
my journey.
Q3. Classical music is used to increase brain-
power and is often called ‘the Mozart effect’,
in particular, when it comes to preparing for
an exam. Did you practice this at Eton College
and Cambridge University?
CS: I didn’t do that specifically, as such. I’ve heard
about the ‘Mozart Effect’, so it certainly doesn’t
do any harm to listen to Mozart or Bach. There is
something that is orderly, balanced, and calming
about that kind of music which puts the brain into a
good place to focus and concentrate. So, I don’t know
about the science behind it, but it does make sense to
me.
Q4. You’re mentors are Itzhak Rashkovsky and
Shlomo Mintz. What do they mean to you?
And, how did they inspire you to become the
man that you are today?
CS: Well, in a way when I was a teenager it was
Itzhak Rashkovsky who became a good friend
of mine and in many ways he was like a parent
character when I was growing up. I went to boarding
school and he was always buying presents for me
beyond playing the violin or music. He was a special
man. Shlomo Mintz had a big impact on my playing