PHOENIX STRINGS

As a natural history illustrator, I spend many happy hours photographing things which normal people wouldn't even notice, including frogs, lichen and raindrops.

I started the violin aged about 4 and had lessons from my Mum every day before school for 9 years, and I hated it.  Swapping to the flute, which neither parent could get a noise out of, was a wondrous occasion and I quickly reached grade 8, unhindered by nagging string and organ/piano/clarinet playing parents and elder sister.  

In the 6th form at school a fellow grade 8 woodwind player took up the viola and was about to take grade 2.  When I realised this, I borrowed my Mum's viola, taught myself the grade two music, entered the exam and came out with a merit -thus beating my friend!  Later we shared lessons and played nothing but duets for two years.  After leaving school I carried on with viola lessons and eventually reached grade 8.  Although I never actually took the exam, I do have the certificate...if you've got this far in my spiel, I'll tell you how, if you ask!!

When the viola need restoration, I returned to the violin and after several years got to grade 6 and then gave up again in the early 90s.

All this sounds as though I ought to be really good, but although I am willing to admit that my sight reading and pitch is pretty good, my bowing is not and was never really tested, as none of the examiners was a string player and John Foster was the first to get the root of my faults!  For which, many thanks are due and I am still learning.