MetSO's Lynette Swarbrick
Lynette Swarbrick
Meet the MetSO Musician
Why do you play the violin?
I fell in love with the violin one evening in the 1970s whilst watching Show Case on TV. I was 8 years old. When I heard 12 year old Debbie Fox play, I was entranced and instantly wanted violin lessons! My request for lessons was denied. Instead I was told “The violin is too difficult - just stick with the piano!” Nana was a piano teacher and I had had taken piano lessons since I was 5. Apparently that was enough! I seem to remember needing to hassle for piano lessons too. I was fobbed off for a short while with a battery powered mini organ. When I turned 11 I won a scholarship to learn any orchestral instrument of my choice. This was my chance! To disguise my zeal, I told my parents that I was considering the clarinet or violin. My obvious and final choice was, of course, the violin!
Do you play any other instruments?
Piano, recorder, viola and recently the cello.
What’s your Day Job?
Once upon a time, I had a ‘real job’ as an Immigration Officer. Being an Immigration Officer ‘didn’t make my heart sing,’ so when my first child turned one, I took up string teaching instead. It has been a wonderful, flexible, life enhancing job for me. A teaching income may be modest, but contrary to popular opinion, I have found you can make a decent living in the Arts AND design a lifestyle to suit your family and your personal needs.
Your favourite musical things:
I like just about everything, so that’s pretty hard to answer. Thinking back, my teenage-self never tired of playing Bach, loved the romanticism of Chopin and was most deeply moved performing Mahler symphonies. Since then I have learnt to get a kick out of lots of contemporary Western Art and World Music styles. A surprise in my adult years has been my burgeoning love of choral music. There is nothing quite like the musical embrace of a cappella chamber choir experience - I highly recommend it!
The oddest thing in your instrument case:
I have many oddities in my violin case. Those that need the most explaining are the bottle top (a teaching tool to challenge bow control by balancing it on the tip of bows during bow exercises) and the mini fingerling (these toys can grip the bow stick at any point to act as a bow weight or bow division marker - yes it’s all about bow control again!)
The most challenging part of your violin journey:
Was early on, when I realised how hard the left and right hand pinkies must work in violin technique - it was nearly a game changer!!
3 words to describe yourself:
Ex-Introverted Optimist
Something you love :
Green Rooms and being Backstage
Something you hate :
The sound of squeaking beach sand and finger nails on black boards.
One of your secrets :
I once played Double Bass on tour in Singapore!!