We were lucky to catch up with Shondālla Calder recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Shondālla , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I first realized that wanted to pursue an artistic path professionally when I saw the violinist Karen Briggs perform. I was so excited to see someone that looked like me playing the violin in a way that I never heard the instrument played. I fell in love with the violin and I was so excited to learn to play. I didn’t know what that would look like. My parents wanted me to take the safe route and go to School for medicine. I couldn’t stop dreaming about being a violinist and traveling the world. I was only presented with two options with playing the violin. I was told that I would have to choose to be an educator or a classical performer. Neither option sat well with me. There weren’t any others at this time that I knew about, performing outside of the classical boundaries. That was until I saw the group “Nuttin But Stringz”. They played original songs in the style of hip hop. I would play along with their songs for fun, and that’s when I realized that I could be original and create something new.
Shondālla , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I was born and raised in Albany, Georgia. Im the oldest of four. I grew up around music, I loved the way it would make me feel. I saw a local small orchestra performing when I was 7 years old and that sparked my interest in stringed instruments. My mom couldn’t afford a violin so she bought me a toy violin. I finally got the opportunity to learn at school in the sixth grade. I love to to teach others the craft of playing the violin. Im most proud of releasing my first single “Rooted”. I had discovered the unique sound that I love to play.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I didn’t grow up rich. So learning to play the violin was a challenge. Life brought me open doors that I had to run through once given the chance. At the middle school that I attended, they started a strings program. I didn’t have a violin. I was gifted a violin from someone at my moms job. It was a family heirloom. My Orchestra teacher started an orchestra and invited me to join once I learned the basics. I finally made it to the orchestra after a year of learning. I felt so small, being in a place where kids. had nice violins and private teachers. All I had was this beat up case with a violin that was over 100 years old. violin case was peeling and it was lined with wallpaper. The kids teased me and picked on me because I didn’t have the fancy violin cases that they had, but I didn’t want to loose this chance to learn to play on a bigger level. So I endured the jokes. Once I got to high school, my parents didn’t sign me up for orchestra. So I had to continue learning on my own for a whole year. My parents couldn’t afford a private violin teacher, so I had to work really hard to learn. My teachers saw my drive and they would come to my orchestra class and give me private lessons! I was so grateful.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I think non creatives struggle with understanding that doing something different won’t always make sense. It’s a risk and brave thing to do. If you have a loved one that is a creative, it’s best to show them love and support. It can feel lonely at times. The biggest challenge we face is getting people to listen to something new. Sometimes non-creatives may think that what I do is a hobby. Being a creative is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Kind words and genuine support really means a lot. It helps up creatives to keep going when things are tough.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.musicbydalla.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicbydalla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Musicbydalla
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shondalla-calder-17322a152/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2Mqo19-KZwTnzRzpCSt4Qg
Image Credits
Photos were taken by Solid Rock Productions LLC