Cultural life, the radio four podcast, she reveals her formative influences and experiences, and how her passion for playing was there from the start. I knew very young there was no question i wanted to play the violin. There was no question that that was what i must do and had to do and wanted to do. Have you played here much, nicky . They chuckle nicola benedetti, welcome to this cultural life. Thank you so much for having me. Its an absolute pleasure. You were born and brought up in north ayrshire. What are your earliest musical memories at home . What memories do you have of music being played at home . The bee gees and abba. Later on, good dose of shania twain. That was all my dads taste. My mum definitely had a kenny g record. Um. She laughs saxophone . Theyll kill me for saying all of this quite like this, but its the truth both of your parents were born in italy, werent they . Yes. Was it an italian household culturally growing up . Its a good question. I would say both parents
But its the truth both of your parents were born in italy, werent they . Yes. Was it an italian household culturally growing up . Its a good question. I would say both parents assimilated very concretely and quite deliberately with scottishness and scottish culture, but they also came over very young. My mum was three years old. An italian speaking three year old with an italian mother and scottish father. Um. Came over to scotland and, er. Was sort of banned from speaking italian quite quickly. It was considered to be detrimental to her education and all sorts of things. We know better now. So my mum lost most of her italian, um. And it was a very scottish upbringing from that moment forward. And my dad, he came over when he was kind of ten or ii. Came over without his parents. Had a rough time, you know, adjusting to such a different culture. It was a good, healthy mix. But as far as mealtimes go and food, we were italian all the way. You mentioned you started playing the violin at t
scottish upbringing from that moment forward. and my dad, he came over when he was kind of ten or ii. came over without his parents. had a rough time, you know, adjusting to such a different culture. it was a good, healthy mix. but as far as mealtimes go and food, we were italian all the way. you mentioned you started playing the violin at the age of four. yeah. what started you off? so we had a very strong suzuki method institution within ayrshire. they had an incredible sort of routine of how to not only encourage the young people to start, but the method in itself is really. it sort of predicated around the idea of the inner ear. so although you re learning to read at some point and you re learning to play an instrument, which, as you know, is incredibly complex and can be a slow, torturous process, especially violin, which sounds awful
when he was kind of ten or ii. came over without his parents. had a rough time, you know, adjusting to such a different culture. it was a good, healthy mix. but as far as mealtimes go and food, we were italian all the way. you mentioned you started playing the violin at the age of four. yeah. what started you off? so we had a very strong suzuki method institution within ayrshire. they had an incredible sort of routine of how to not only encourage the young people to start, but the method in itself is really. it sort of predicated around the idea of the inner ear. so although you re learning to read at some point and you re learning to play an instrument, which, as you know, is incredibly complex and can be a slow, torturous process, especially violin, which sounds awful at the beginning. with this method, you re learning tunes immediately. and therefore, it is music immediately. it s not a whole load
but it s the truth! both of your parents were born in italy, weren t they ? yes. was it an italian household culturally growing up? it s a good question. i would say both parents assimilated very concretely and quite deliberately with scottishness and scottish culture, but they also came over very young. my mum was three years old. an italian speaking three year old with an italian mother and scottish father. um.came over to scotland and, er.was sort of banned from speaking italian quite quickly. it was considered to be detrimental to her education and all sorts of things. we know better now. so my mum lost most of her italian, um.and it was a very scottish upbringing from that moment forward. and my dad, he came over when he was kind of ten or ii. came over without his parents. had a rough time, you know, adjusting to such a different culture. it was a good, healthy mix. but as far as mealtimes go and food, we were italian all the way.