How many of us are ‘stuck’ in a rut?. How many of us are living our everyday lives the way ‘we should’ and the way ‘people expect us to’.?

How many of us could do, and be, a hell of a whole lot better?.

How many of us actually do anything about it?.

As I’ve said before, I grew up in a household of music. My Dad, George Raymond, was a professional violinist/comedian, and my Mum was similarly musically talented…a pianist and singer, though she never had the chance to ‘go pro’. Family came first with her. She was a product of her time…a wife of the ’50′s.  A Mum of the ’60′s and ’70′s. But she had been a model during the ’50s, that’s how she first met my Dad. And a stunning girl she was then, and still is today, even though in her ’70′s. More about her another time…

Anyway. As a child, through my Dad, I learn’t the piano and organ. That was his wish for me…to be his accompanist one day on stage.  To be an accomplished pianist/organist. And so I began to be.

But, I had always harboured an inner desire to be a violinist, a string player. He would not allow it.  He wanted his daughter to be a pianist and that was that.  So, no violin lessons…ever.

At school one day, at Stella Maris College Manly in 1976, the NSW Conservatorium Big Band paid us a visit and performed for us. The keyboard player on this occasion was none other than Micheal Keiran Harvey, a teenager my age and who is now one of Australia’s foremost musicians. His mother, Anne, was my music teacher at Stella, his Gran had been my very first piano teacher, and we had been in the same class in primary school in Harbord. His Mum had organised the bands visit as a treat for the school. It certainly proved a treat for me.  For that is when I decided that, one day, I would make music my career. AND, as a string player at that.  It was to be quite a while before it happened.

January 1991. I am at home with 2 small children and wondering where on earth I will be in five years time. So, deciding that ‘now’ was the time to change my destiny, I went out and bought a violin and enrolled with the local music school. I never looked back. At the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music in Gosford NSW, with Sylvia Knox as my teacher, I began my journey of self discovery. Why had I waited so long?.

By 1995, through sheer hard work and practice, I had reached a standard where I had passed all my music exams with high results and had been accepted as a player in the regional orchestra. In 1998, I took up playing the viola and progressed even further. By the year 2000 I was tutoring in Chamber music and had raised the courage to enrol as a Diploma student at the Australian Institute of Music in Sydney. This I did at the age of 38, alongside kids of 18, 19 and 20 years of age. I was accepted on my merits, passed all my exams and was a working, professional, musician. At the ripe old age of 38. I had achieved my dream.

Whatever your age; whatever your dream…

GO FOR IT!.

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