Favorite Things 2: The Hip-Hop Violinist

I don't know if Lindsey Stirling still bills herself as the 'hip-hop violinist' but whatever you call her, the girl is amazing.  When I'm feeling a little down I'll skip over to YouTube and play 'Shadows' or 'Transcendence' and invariably feel better (or at least better understood :D).  

Shadows is probably my favorite because aside from being a great melody and beautifully performed, the video is just fascinating... I love black and white, I love the injection of whimsy, and Lindsey is so cute!  If I can't be petite and adorable and graceful then I'll live vicariously through her. 

I have a violin and dabble with it from time to time - it's purely for my own enjoyment, as I have a pathologic lack of rhythm and am dangerously close to being tone deaf (hey, I'm a visual artist :D) - but I think that my experiences with the instrument enhance my appreciation for, and feed my fascination with, performers like Lindsey, Mairead Nesbitt, Bond and Natalie McMaster.  The way the violin just seems to be a part of them, their grace and beauty (and for an interesting take on beauty check out this TED talk)... well, at the risk of sounding like an utter cornball, it lifts my soul!

Lindsey has a bit of everything, if you're feeling philosophical, misunderstood, or railing at the constraints life seems to have laid on you I recommend watching Transcendence....

And don't let the 'Hip Hop' part fool you - Lindsey is clearly a member of the Geek Girl community as evidenced by this one (if you've ever played Skyrim you MUST watch it)...

Or if you are more of a Zelda fan watch this one, or a Lord of the Rings fan watch this one.  I could go on, but you get the point!  So check out Lindsey's stuff and let me know what you think in the comments!

~ Pam