“My professional life began in the Spring of 1975 when, at 18, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra invited me to join the ranks of this celebrated ensemble.  My debut as a soloist occurred two years later; then conductor Neville Marriner called on me to perform Mozart’s “Sinfonia Concertante” with the orchestra and its principal violist Myra Kestenbaum.    These several concerts were a great success, and the doors to a career opened.

Over the decades I have enjoyed a tremendous range of musical experiences.  I’ve worn the hats of soloist, chamber musician, session player, symphonic and operatic musician.  I’ve played on the releases of top pop artists; been heard performing in films such as Ratatoullie, Up, Avatar and Titanic (concertmaster and soloist); released my own solo and collaborative recordings; and toured widely throughout North America in three nationally recognized chamber ensembles.

What I have always remained, however, is a student.  A student of the violin.  The greatest influence on me was, and is, the great 20^th century Russian born violinist Nathan Milstein.  Over a three-year period in my early 20s I spent many an hour in his presence – at the time he was beginning his 8^th decade as a touring concert artist, if you can imagine.  One of the things he said to me then, and I’ve never forgotten it, was, “I am more interested in violin playing now than I am in music.”  For a towering artist and musician to make such a statement spoke volumes; how tremendously rich is the universe of violin playing!

In my forties, however, I was beset by a physical challenge that regularly draws a curtain on the professional life of working musicians.   The condition, arising from one of a number of causes, is known as Focal Dystonia.  When it sunk in that I might eventually lose the ability to perform, I pivoted direction and began creating instructional DVD courses on violin playing.  I wanted to pass on the knowledge that came down to me through Milstein and my own experience.

My Violin Mastery courses on DVD were an immediate hit.  Initially targeting intermediate level players, the courses eventually reached back to first time beginners and stretched all the way to advanced virtuosi.  Further, I held semi-annual masterclasses in several locations in the United States during this time, and my daily ‘blogs’ were read by thousands on five continents.

Yet as the unwanted contractions in my 3^rd and 4^th fingers grew to dominance I tilted toward depression.  After seven years I let Violin Mastery fall by the wayside and began preparing for ‘life after the violin.’  Happily, fate again intervened, this time illustrating how the darkest clouds often carry with them silver linings.

After learning of the much revered two-fingered guitarist Django Rheinhart, who relearned the guitar and gained international acclaim using just two digits on his left hand (use of the other two having been lost to serious burns in his early 20s), I resolved to follow in his footsteps.

The transformation took five full years and brought me closer to the violin than I had been in decades.  I can honestly say, now, the process resulted in a deeper understanding of violin playing and, as importantly, of those mysterious qualities which constitute ‘music making.’

One of the important steps along the way was the building of confidence in my ability to deliver in front of an audience.  I was fortunate in this regard to have a ready and willing audience just a couple minutes from my home.  Taking the form of residents in an assisted living community, I was to discover that many in the group had extensive musical backgrounds.  Their generosity of spirit when I had off days – there were many in the early months – coupled with the palpable recognition when I had good ones proved a constant source of inspiration and encouragement.  It was an experience I will always treasure!

So, the ‘ride’ has been an eventful one.  It has afforded me a unique perspective on both violin playing and music making.  I truly hope that by coming here my experience will prove helpful to you!” Clayton Haslop