How I nearly stopped playing

#shoulderrest #scoliosis #viola
Finally got round to editing this mammoth of a video!!!
I filmed at silly o'clock, after a full day, so y'all are just gonna have to roll with the deep voice and the rambling...I wanted to tell my story as organically as possible: no script, speaking out for the first time about some of my struggles on the path towards becoming a professional musician/violinist.

Anyone who plays violin/viola knows just how much difference a shoulder rest makes to your entire playing experience - there's hundreds of models out there with massive price differences, not to mention the perennial debate of whether we should even be using them in the first place.
Add to that my struggles with scoliosis (a spinal deformity) and shaky technique, and you end up with a toxic mix that nearly made me give up the violin for good. And yet here I am, still somehow playing the violin after almost 25 years!

If you relate to any of the issues mentioned, let me know in the comments. I hope that by emerging out the other side and sharing what I've learned, my story can be a source of hope, encouragement & information for you :)

00:00 intro
01:02 short disclaimer
01:25 childhood: early beginnings with the violin
03:24 teenage years: first problems emerging
06:01 starting the search for solutions
07:02 scoliosis complications
08:13 young adulthood: more medical explorations
10:28 reworking violin technique (again and again and again)
13:16 the concept/crutch of the shoulder rest and the "perfect set-up"
16:33 my two (very different) violins: Concert Violin & Mr Chunky Thicc Violin
17:51 (why i don't have names for my violins)
19:30 happy accident: playing Mr Chunky Thicc violin with no shoulder rest
21:31 my "new normal": discovering 100% shoulder-rest-free violin playing in lockdown
22:45 how I did it: points of contact, free-movement potential, and The Left Thumb
27:19 unexpected benefits
29:09 lessons learnt from this journey
31:59 closing remarks - outro

outro music: "Hopes" by Prod. Riddiman    • hopes - lofi hip hop beat [FREE FOR P...  
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Janell Yeo is a British musician, educator, and audiovisual artist who started playing the violin aged four. She has performed across the UK and on multiple continents as a solo violinist, singer, chamber musician and musicianship leader. Since 2007, her talent and dedication have been recognised by awards, bursaries and scholarships across several countries.

Being passionate about the power of music at individual, regional and international levels, her performances and arts events have raised over £70,000 for humanitarian causes around the world and won her a “Champion Volunteer” Diana Award in 2011. Janell is also a dedicated educator, receiving a Distinction for her pedagogical Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2019.

As a founding member of the Bloomsbury Quartet since Autumn 2017, Janell has performed at festivals and concert series across the UK; played live on BBC Radio 3 and at the Wigmore Hall; and positively impacted over a thousand people of all backgrounds through participatory and co-creative projects. 2019/20 saw the Bloomsbury Quartet embark on their first UK tour with “ReCentred: Elizabeth Maconchy”.

Currently a PhD candidate at Goldsmiths University of London, Janell uses filmmaking to explore the intersection between audiovisuality, classical music, and social issues. As a 2017 Vlogstar Challenge finalist, her short films have been screened at BAFTA and Viacom UK HQ and gained 30,000+ views on YouTube.