We were lucky to catch up with Selina Siow recently and have shared our conversation below.
Selina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I started taking violin lessons when I was around ten. I was fortunate enough to find a supporting community early on that encouraged me to keep pursuing violin, and before I knew it, I start to build a career in music, both performing and teaching. Knowing what I know now, I guess the biggest advice I would give anyone starting on their violin (or any musical instrument!) journey is understanding the importance of mindful practice. I noticed a lot of folks putting in many hours of practicing but was frustrated because it just didn’t seem like they were getting better at their craft. Being mindful of what you are practicing can help you avoid repeating mistakes, which, in the long run, will form a bad habit that will be difficult to unlearn later. Besides mindful practicing, consistency is key! Imagine not brushing your teeth every day but spending 4 hours before your dentist appointment, hoping your teeth will be healthy – it sounds ridiculous, right? Learning the violin is the same thing – spending time practicing every day (even if it’s just 15 minutes!) will do you more good than practicing once a week for one hour before your lesson.
Selina, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Selina Siow, and I am a classical violinist and music educator in Seattle. I enjoy connecting with my audience through music and am passionate about guiding our youth on their musical journey. As an experienced and versatile musician, I am fueled by passion and an ardent desire to forge interpersonal connections. I strive to explore and capture music’s beautiful and magical moments and deliver them to my audience. The interpersonal connection music offers is unique to any other form of art. I am happy that my ability to engage with my audience has allowed me to perform at many prestigious stages worldwide, such as Benaroya Hall, Meany Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall, Concert Hall in Alapayevsk, and Concert Hall of Sverdlovsk Philharmonic Ekaterinburg. I perform frequently throughout the United States and Asia and have given concerts with orchestras such as the Seattle Symphony, Pacifica Chamber Orchestra, and Chicago Philharmonic. I have performed under the baton of Richard Pontzious, James Judd, Anthony Spain, and Kirk Trevor and was featured as a soloist with the Hong Kong Charity Chamber Orchestra in 2017. I also actively participate in professional projects and events, including Netflix Bridgerton: Queen Charlotte’s promotional tour in 2023.
After moving to Seattle in 2021, I started my private studio offering violin and piano lessons to students ages 6 to 40. I believe embarking on a musical journey could do wonders for a child’s development. Learning an instrument offers valuable life lessons in addition to acquiring musical skills. I encourage my students to be persistent and detail-oriented while learning problem-solving skills and practicing mind and body connection. I also serve as the Program Assistant for the Seattle Chamber Music Society, working closely with some of the top musicians in the classical music industry to provide quality concert experiences for the Seattle community. I am very fortunate to have the chance to work closely with the Chicago West Community Music Center as their faculty, Camp Director, and Administrator. This organization strives to provide quality music education to underprivileged families in West Chicago, and I believe our work has made a positive impact and contribution to the community. I plan and implement violin programs that cater to students of all ages and strive to provide a safe, supportive, and welcoming learning environment for all students.
A brief summary of my educational background: I received my Master in Music (M.M.) and Performance Diploma (P.D.) degrees from the Chicago College of Performing Arts studying under Mrs. Altima Vamos and Dr. MingHuan Xu and my Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Hong Kong Education University. A proud recipient of the Helen A. Reynolds Endowed Scholarship in Music, I am currently pursuing the degree of Doctoral of Musical Arts at the University of Washington, studying under Ms. Rachel Lee Priday, where I also serve as a Teaching Assistant for the School of Music.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I love connecting with my audiences, whether in a big concert in a concert hall or a small private event at a wedding. As music can only be appreciated through time, I like to think of myself as an artist who decorates time, just like how an interior designer decorates space. Perhaps the most rewarding part of being a musician is when audiences come up to me after a concert and tell me how my performance made them feel. I remember I had this wonderful opportunity to perform in a memory care senior center, and after my performance, the supervisor came up to me and said, ‘they might not remember what you played, but they will remember how you made them feel’. That is something that has stuck with me throughout the years, and I believe that is truly the power of music.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think sometimes people underestimate the time, money, and effort we put into our craft, which is why it is always frustrating when people ask us to perform in an event and say it would be a ‘good performing experience’ for us instead of offering any compensation. I personally have experienced people asking me, ‘Well, it is not like it is costing you anything. Since you play the violin, you can just play, no?’
Most musicians I know spend hours and hours locked inside a practice room daily to perfect their craft, and the practice process is almost always challenging. On top of time investment, maintaining our instruments could be pretty costly – whether it is to re-hair our bow or fix an open seam, a trip to the luthier can cost several hundred dollars. I wish more people understood that the beautiful music we perform for 10 minutes on stage probably took us years and years of practice to achieve. When you hire us to perform, you are paying for not only our performance time but also all those years of hard work that make the performance possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.selinasiow.com
Image Credits
Instagram: yoyos.photos