Full Transcript for Breaking Barriers with Every Note - The Ayoub Sisters

academics. 00:05:41.895 --> 00:05:47.055 And I think I had like an inherent wanting to look after people nature that 00:05:47.055 --> 00:05:49.255 I think he could he could sense. 00:05:49.655 --> 00:05:52.715 And that's why he was like, yes, you will you will do pediatrics. 00:05:52.855 --> 00:05:57.575 This is where you will do well. So he decided that was my speciality. That was your. Yeah. 00:05:58.155 --> 00:06:03.455 So it was it was a tough time making that call. And I kind of decided in my 00:06:03.455 --> 00:06:07.635 last year of school that I would try and do both, like apply for medicine and 00:06:07.635 --> 00:06:09.935 audition and kind of see what happens. 00:06:10.515 --> 00:06:14.835 And the conservatoire auditions happen much earlier in the year. 00:06:15.095 --> 00:06:19.995 And I applied for various music colleges around the UK. 00:06:19.995 --> 00:06:24.635 But the one that I really, really wanted to go to was the Royal College of Music 00:06:24.635 --> 00:06:28.435 in London. I knew some amazing teachers there. I just had a really good feeling 00:06:28.435 --> 00:06:31.575 about that school. It's ranked number two in the entire world. 00:06:32.555 --> 00:06:36.515 And it's situated right opposite the Royal Albert Hall. So it's like in the 00:06:36.515 --> 00:06:38.715 most inspiring, exciting area of London. 00:06:38.995 --> 00:06:43.375 And I really didn't think I'd get in. I know how competitive it is. 00:06:43.475 --> 00:06:46.775 Violin is one of the most popular instruments, therefore one of the most competitive. 00:06:47.095 --> 00:06:50.515 Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, it's kind of... 00:06:51.028 --> 00:06:55.728 I'd say violin and piano are probably the two most competitive instruments in 00:06:55.728 --> 00:06:59.948 classical music in general, because there's just so many people play them. 00:07:00.088 --> 00:07:03.868 So you have to be really, really exceptional to get offered a place. 00:07:04.268 --> 00:07:07.228 And much to my surprise, I did get offered a place. 00:07:07.448 --> 00:07:11.848 And that's kind of, that was the moment that I knew I had to see it through. 00:07:12.048 --> 00:07:15.368 I had to go, which has been quite a difficult conversation 00:07:15.368 --> 00:07:18.408 to have with with the parents 00:07:18.408 --> 00:07:21.048 because it was not only I'm I'm not going to 00:07:21.048 --> 00:07:26.088 pursue medicine I'm going to pursue music and I'm moving to London see you later 00:07:26.088 --> 00:07:34.808 oh okay so there was that added thing of moving away yeah yeah and and what 00:07:34.808 --> 00:07:39.188 about you Sarah did you also go to the Royal College? 00:07:39.428 --> 00:07:43.688 So I stayed at home actually. I went to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. 00:07:44.208 --> 00:07:48.768 And my journey was a little bit easier than Laura's because it was very obvious 00:07:48.768 --> 00:07:51.008 from the get-go that I was going to do music. 00:07:51.268 --> 00:07:56.008 What wasn't obvious was which instrument and I ended up doing a double major 00:07:56.008 --> 00:08:00.328 for my undergrad degree on both the piano and the cello. 00:08:00.548 --> 00:08:06.268 So double the intensity, double the practice hours but it was very clear early 00:08:06.268 --> 00:08:11.228 on that it was a musical path despite the fact I did excel academically but 00:08:11.228 --> 00:08:14.528 I did not like chemistry whatsoever and that was the one. 00:08:15.128 --> 00:08:19.528 Subject that you need to do medicine I did biology I did physics and I excelled 00:08:19.528 --> 00:08:24.668 in those but I had zero interest or love for chemistry so that meant it was 00:08:24.668 --> 00:08:27.188 it was game over for medicine in early on. 00:08:27.408 --> 00:08:33.048 So that's why all the attention was then placed on Delora to see if she would become a doctor. 00:08:33.828 --> 00:08:37.308 Right. And so what made you pick the cello? 00:08:37.568 --> 00:08:41.708 So I actually, I was a violinist first. 00:08:41.848 --> 00:08:45.608 If we're talking about the string family, I was a violin player first. Right. 00:08:46.194 --> 00:08:53.394 Until the age of 13. Age 13 is when I discovered the full symphony orchestra. 00:08:53.654 --> 00:08:58.114 I went away from home for the first time, band camp, I believe people call it, 00:08:58.194 --> 00:09:00.174 or residential orchestra courses. 00:09:00.934 --> 00:09:04.234 And that's when I heard the full symphony orchestra for the first time. 00:09:04.434 --> 00:09:09.694 So your brass section, your woodwind, your lower strings, the upper strings and percussion. 00:09:10.214 --> 00:09:13.494 And that's when I fell in love with the sound of the cello. 00:09:13.934 --> 00:09:22.214 So I came home from that course and then said, mom, I would like to swap to the cello. 00:09:22.214 --> 00:09:27.654 And you can imagine the drama that it causes because age 13 is considered very 00:09:27.654 --> 00:09:29.234 late to start a new instrument. 00:09:29.894 --> 00:09:33.414 And we had to consult many musicians, 00:09:33.694 --> 00:09:37.334 many teachers who looked right down to the size of my fingers, 00:09:37.334 --> 00:09:43.314 my physique, my height, the car that my mom drives, because it's a lifestyle 00:09:43.314 --> 00:09:45.434 change and it's a lifestyle choice. 00:09:45.434 --> 00:09:50.874 And through much resistance from many people, I finally managed to make the 00:09:50.874 --> 00:09:53.674 switch, not before I was offered other instruments in the middle, 00:09:53.794 --> 00:09:58.614 like a viola, which sits between the violin and the cello as I compromised. 00:09:59.174 --> 00:10:04.194 But I kind of stuck to my kind of my love for the cello and made that switch at 13. 00:10:04.554 --> 00:10:08.214 I did not realize that all those things would come into play. 00:10:08.454 --> 00:10:13.294 Had you been younger, would it have been such a complicated choice? 00:10:14.290 --> 00:10:17.570 It would have

been easier. I mean, they always say that you need to start young 00:10:17.570 --> 00:10:20.110 in order to survive and succeed. 00:10:20.770 --> 00:10:25.150 So switching or starting a brand new instrument at 13 is really, 00:10:25.170 --> 00:10:28.470 it's kind of discouraged or it's unorthodox. 00:10:28.470 --> 00:10:31.430 But I guess what was on my side was 00:10:31.430 --> 00:10:34.250 that I already read music I was already 00:10:34.250 --> 00:10:37.090 a string player so I was just making small adjustments to my 00:10:37.090 --> 00:10:41.990 technique I wasn't starting from zero but there was a lot of nervous chatter 00:10:41.990 --> 00:10:46.210 around the music kind of teacher community that I was going to make that change 00:10:46.210 --> 00:10:51.330 it's so interesting to me because I actually played the clarinet that's what 00:10:51.330 --> 00:10:55.890 I started at it like I think we were in like nine years old when we started 00:10:55.890 --> 00:10:57.010 learning to play instruments. 00:10:57.970 --> 00:11:03.310 And from there, when I got to middle school or junior high, 00:11:03.870 --> 00:11:05.590 I guess I was about 12. 00:11:06.070 --> 00:11:12.950 And at that point, they started looking at talented musicians. 00:11:12.950 --> 00:11:18.570 And I use that term loosely, talented, if you've ever been to a school band concert. 00:11:18.870 --> 00:11:23.590 But they looked for some of us to take on second instruments. 00:11:24.330 --> 00:11:27.430 And so I was offered the opportunity to 00:11:27.430 --> 00:11:35.150 learn how to play the bassoon but I don't recall any conversations about anything 00:11:35.150 --> 00:11:40.610 like that it was just you were expected to say yes and learn it and learn it 00:11:40.610 --> 00:11:45.590 we did so that's fascinating so so here you. 00:11:46.726 --> 00:11:51.946 Were able to move into the cello, do you still have the skills to play the violin? 00:11:52.786 --> 00:11:55.846 Uh-oh. I think it would sound pretty terrible. 00:11:56.066 --> 00:12:00.586 If I played it upside down, I would probably make a nice tone and a nice vibrato, 00:12:00.726 --> 00:12:04.446 but under the chin situation, no. 00:12:04.626 --> 00:12:06.366 Yeah. Short answer. Yeah. 00:12:06.726 --> 00:12:13.666 Laura, did you ever have any desire to move from the violin to any other string instrument? 00:12:13.666 --> 00:12:17.226 I did and do sometimes 00:12:17.226 --> 00:12:20.346 play the viola which is a total guilty pleasure I'm 00:12:20.346 --> 00:12:24.546 not sure if you're aware but the viola gets a really bad wreck in 00:12:24.546 --> 00:12:30.446 the classical world it's the butt of many jokes so so people can really often 00:12:30.446 --> 00:12:34.406 make fun of the instrument and the player so I'm not saying that's why it was 00:12:34.406 --> 00:12:40.086 a guilty pleasure but there's always kind of this like shame of of abandoning 00:12:40.086 --> 00:12:42.246 the violin and going into another instrument. 00:12:42.486 --> 00:12:47.746 But I kind of love the viola. It's the perfect middle ground between violin and cello. 00:12:47.886 --> 00:12:54.046 And I managed to have access to one during the pandemic and we noodled a lot 00:12:54.046 --> 00:12:57.146 of viola and cello and it was really, really fun. 00:12:57.386 --> 00:13:01.846 We had more fun than we do playing our regular self. 00:13:01.986 --> 00:13:07.026 And I have to admit that Laura makes a really beautiful sound on the viola. 00:13:07.449 --> 00:13:12.429 And a much nicer sound than a lot of professional violists that I've heard. She's a natural. 00:13:12.769 --> 00:13:17.169 Even although she's got a small neck and her fingers are small or thin, 00:13:17.469 --> 00:13:19.409 but she makes a very rich sound. 00:13:19.589 --> 00:13:23.129 And we had a lot of fun playing cello and viola. 00:13:23.349 --> 00:13:28.689 Just playing the C string, which is the string the violin doesn't have. The violin stops at G. 00:13:28.949 --> 00:13:33.089 And then the viola has the same tuning as the cello, but one octave higher. 00:13:33.089 --> 00:13:38.169 And just that open C-string where you can feel your organs vibrating is like 00:13:38.169 --> 00:13:40.809 a feeling you don't really get with the violin. 00:13:41.009 --> 00:13:44.909 You get many other feelings really like being able to soar. 00:13:45.129 --> 00:13:52.689 Yeah, but the depths and like the belly of that, the C-string with the cello is quite amazing. 00:13:52.929 --> 00:13:56.629 It's like two bears having a conversation. 00:13:57.089 --> 00:14:03.049 I bet it would be so fun to join you for a jam session and just watch and listen. 00:14:03.529 --> 00:14:07.869 And you guys light up when you talk about your music, so it's got to be fun. 00:14:08.844 --> 00:14:12.904 Tell me about this, because I think this is, you know, when you get beyond, 00:14:13.164 --> 00:14:21.064 you know, your skill, how did you decide to start performing together as the Ayup sisters, 00:14:21.904 --> 00:14:25.584 as opposed to each taking your own career path? 00:14:26.404 --> 00:14:30.564 I don't think we ever sat down and had a meeting and made a decision. 00:14:30.784 --> 00:14:36.324 There was nothing as formal or calculated as that. there were kind of a series 00:14:36.324 --> 00:14:41.344 of events that happened that we decided to do together. 00:14:41.604 --> 00:14:46.544 Probably the most crucial one was a competition that we saw advertised and heard 00:14:46.544 --> 00:14:51.464 advertised through the radio station Classic FM, which is our really biggest 00:14:51.464 --> 00:14:54.444 home of classical music here in the UK in particular. 00:14:54.664 --> 00:14:59.044 And we listened to it a lot growing up. It was always on in my mom's car or in the house. 00:14:59.344 --> 00:15:04.324 Right. And one day there was an advert running on that radio station that said, 00:15:04.584 --> 00:15:07.404 can you see yourself performing at the Royal Albert

Hall? 00:15:07.764 --> 00:15:13.024 Upload your video to our website and enter this competition. And our mum heard it. 00:15:13.607 --> 00:15:17.787 And was like, girls, you have to enter this competition. We're like, 00:15:17.867 --> 00:15:19.287 what is this? I've never heard of it. 00:15:19.467 --> 00:15:24.187 Went online and found that there was two categories for this competition. 00:15:24.367 --> 00:15:28.887 There was one for solo acts and there were one for chamber groups, so two or more people. 00:15:29.067 --> 00:15:33.447 And all you had to do was upload one performance clip to pass round one. 00:15:33.627 --> 00:15:40.627 The initial thought was we would both upload a solo clip in the solo category 00:15:40.627 --> 00:15:42.407 and compete against each other. 00:15:42.907 --> 00:15:45.887 And then the logistics involved with having 00:15:45.887 --> 00:15:49.447 to film two videos and because i 00:15:49.447 --> 00:15:52.127 played violin she was maybe going to accompany me as a pianist in 00:15:52.127 --> 00:15:54.767 mine and then we were like should we just is it 00:15:54.767 --> 00:15:57.807 more economical to just upload one enter the 00:15:57.807 --> 00:16:00.527 other category okay what's the name 00:16:00.527 --> 00:16:03.607 of the group oh we need to come up with a group name what 00:16:03.607 --> 00:16:06.887 do we call ourselves maybe the ayub sisters 00:16:06.887 --> 00:16:10.647 because we were just so like non-creative when 00:16:10.647 --> 00:16:14.447 it came to that right that kind of world yeah and a 00:16:14.447 --> 00:16:19.827 long story short there were several rounds over a period of time and the final 00:16:19.827 --> 00:16:28.147 round was almost just over 10 years ago actually and yeah we won and the prize 00:16:28.147 --> 00:16:33.227 was a slot at classic fm live at the Royal Albert Hall. 00:16:33.387 --> 00:16:40.327 They do a big concert every year with their 5,000 plus audience and recorded live for radio play. 00:16:40.607 --> 00:16:44.927 And our prize was to get to play as part of that concert in 2016. 00:16:44.987 --> 00:16:47.567 So this is how we mark our 10-year anniversary. 00:16:47.747 --> 00:16:49.827 And we've just finished our 10-year anniversary now. 00:16:50.527 --> 00:16:56.567 And that's because 10 years ago, we won a competition with the name the Ayub Sisters. 00:16:57.627 --> 00:17:01.987 And without really knowing, that kind of launched our career as a jewel. 00:17:02.347 --> 00:17:06.127 I can't even begin to imagine that 00:17:06.495 --> 00:17:12.815 what your emotions were and what you were feeling when you were performing at that event 10 years ago. 00:17:13.075 --> 00:17:17.995 I mean, launching such a beautiful career for both of you, but the accomplishment 00:17:17.995 --> 00:17:22.415 and something you hadn't even planned. What was that like? 00:17:22.615 --> 00:17:29.235 And then having the audience applaud for you like that, a 5,000 person audience. 00:17:29.615 --> 00:17:35.155 It's funny. We just found two clips as we were going through our phone because 00:17:35.155 --> 00:17:39.515 we did a post recently about our 10 years and I found two clips the one of them 00:17:39.515 --> 00:17:41.255 introducing us onto the stage, 00:17:41.815 --> 00:17:45.015 this is their Royal Albert Hall daily. 00:17:45.655 --> 00:17:49.655 And the one of the applause after we finally played and it's taken from, 00:17:50.195 --> 00:17:53.115 my dad's phone and who sat next to my mum and our uncle 00:17:53.115 --> 00:17:56.895 who flew in all the way from the US and like you can hear them cheering 00:17:56.895 --> 00:17:59.875 and like it's really difficult to watch that and not 00:17:59.875 --> 00:18:03.155 tear up because I do remember the moment 00:18:03.155 --> 00:18:06.695 so distinctly of hearing applause 00:18:06.695 --> 00:18:10.035 of that magnitude in a hall that you've always 00:18:10.035 --> 00:18:13.175 dreamed of playing in and all of a sudden we're playing together 00:18:13.175 --> 00:18:16.095 for a radio station that we've listened to our whole lives like 00:18:16.095 --> 00:18:19.975 there was just it was just such a surreal moment and 00:18:19.975 --> 00:18:23.275 then listening back to the broadcast and actually being 00:18:23.275 --> 00:18:26.135 quite happy with how we played like how we 00:18:26.135 --> 00:18:30.475 coped under the pressure i remember like listening back because it has a delay 00:18:30.475 --> 00:18:34.655 broadcast so it was broadcast the next evening and we were in our kitchen listening 00:18:34.655 --> 00:18:39.435 with headphones like so intently like was it okay did it actually go well and 00:18:39.435 --> 00:18:45.055 then being really happy with with how it went so right it was really it was very special. 00:18:45.862 --> 00:18:52.542 So you keep alluding to our kitchen, our thing. 00:18:52.802 --> 00:18:57.742 The two of you lived together for a very long time, right? In your own apartment? 00:18:58.442 --> 00:19:07.282 Almost the 10 years. Yeah. I moved out finally two years ago after, what, 00:19:07.422 --> 00:19:14.962 nine years of living and working in the same three by three room in London. 00:19:15.862 --> 00:19:21.642 What is that like for sisters? Because, you know, listen, if you're married, you do that. 00:19:21.862 --> 00:19:27.182 If you're, you know, but two sisters, and we all know that no matter how much 00:19:27.182 --> 00:19:33.562 you love each other and, you know, you're close, there's still all kinds of dynamics there. 00:19:34.022 --> 00:19:37.682 What was that like? And clearly, if you live together for nine years, 00:19:37.862 --> 00:19:39.722 you live together through COVID. 00:19:40.102 --> 00:19:43.382 What was all that like for you it was it's 00:19:43.382 --> 00:19:47.062 a mixture of feelings and emotions predominantly it 00:19:47.062 --> 00:19:51.962 was a lot of fun because if you just wanted to have a jam you could at any hour 00:19:51.962 -->

00:19:56.202 of the day she's right there the instruments are there there was a lot of spontaneous 00:19:56.202 --> 00:20:01.122 things that happened spontaneous recordings and videos and kind of arranging 00:20:01.122 --> 00:20:03.982 and creative things that were not planned but we were. 00:20:07.837 --> 00:20:11.057 It's intense it's very intense when you're living 00:20:11.057 --> 00:20:14.257 and working and your siblings in the same environment 00:20:14.257 --> 00:20:17.397 and it's in london so the 00:20:17.397 --> 00:20:20.257 places are not big it's quite small so you get 00:20:20.257 --> 00:20:23.097 into each other's faces and there's a cello which is like having 00:20:23.097 --> 00:20:25.977 a third person live with you so i think it was the 00:20:25.977 --> 00:20:28.897 right time to just spread our wings a little bit and have some 00:20:28.897 --> 00:20:32.097 some elbow room and it's only 00:20:32.097 --> 00:20:35.037 been a good thing as well i think i still love 00:20:35.037 --> 00:20:38.477 her the same possibly love her even more that we're slightly separated 00:20:38.477 --> 00:20:41.277 but also creatively having had a 00:20:41.277 --> 00:20:44.417 little bit of distance and space i mean we 00:20:44.417 --> 00:20:47.277 alluded to a symphony that we just wrote and had 00:20:47.277 --> 00:20:50.337 its premiere just a couple of months ago i don't think that symphony would 00:20:50.337 --> 00:20:55.737 have happened had we been living under the same roof in each other's faces with 00:20:55.737 --> 00:21:01.157 the same kind of experiences and stimuli it's good to have two different perspectives 00:21:01.157 --> 00:21:06.017 coming together having some distance and and making conscious efforts to then 00:21:06.017 --> 00:21:07.557 get together to be creative. 00:21:07.937 --> 00:21:11.697 I think it forced us to be really productive creatively. 00:21:12.157 --> 00:21:17.217 And I actually wanted to ask you about that because I want to talk about your 00:21:17.217 --> 00:21:24.537 symphony because, wow, you wrote a symphony and it debuted at Celtic Connections in January, 00:21:25.137 --> 00:21:29.057 which I'm devastated I wasn't there for. But A... 00:21:29.982 --> 00:21:35.122 How does one write a symphony? You know, aside from watching Mr. 00:21:35.222 --> 00:21:38.002 Holland's opus, I do not know, right? 00:21:38.222 --> 00:21:42.822 So how do you come to jointly write a symphony? 00:21:43.222 --> 00:21:48.262 Tell me that. If you go into it saying, I'm going to write a symphony today, you'll run a mile. 00:21:48.462 --> 00:21:52.622 It's terrifying. It's a huge, tall order to think about. 00:21:52.622 --> 00:21:55.662 But actually how it started was just 00:21:55.662 --> 00:21:58.662 seedlings of ideas that we were going to actually write for 00:21:58.662 --> 00:22:01.462 a piano and violin setup for a different 00:22:01.462 --> 00:22:04.522 concert that then ended up not happening it comes 00:22:04.522 --> 00:22:07.622 with this funny story but we were asked to play a concert and we 00:22:07.622 --> 00:22:10.662 thought why don't we write something brand new for it and it 00:22:10.662 --> 00:22:13.882 can be you know we'll make a big thing of it that it's 00:22:13.882 --> 00:22:17.102 in a beautiful venue beautiful theme let's write 00:22:17.102 --> 00:22:20.242 something brand new and then the concert no longer happened 00:22:20.242 --> 00:22:24.262 but we still had the seedlings of ideas these 00:22:24.262 --> 00:22:26.962 ideas slowly grew arms and legs and 00:22:26.962 --> 00:22:29.842 what was going to be a piano violin sinatra we said 00:22:29.842 --> 00:22:32.742 well wouldn't that piano part sound nicer on a harp and 00:22:32.742 --> 00:22:35.542 actually this could be like four horns and actually this 00:22:35.542 --> 00:22:38.302 could be a sweeping string section so all of 00:22:38.302 --> 00:22:41.442 a sudden we just opened up a Sibelius score 00:22:41.442 --> 00:22:44.822 which is the the software we use to write music and 00:22:44.822 --> 00:22:48.022 just put these ideas just for no 00:22:48.022 --> 00:22:50.642 reason we don't have a concert we don't have a deadline we don't have 00:22:50.642 --> 00:22:53.522 a commission but we have ideas just put them on pen 00:22:53.522 --> 00:23:00.202 to paper and see if we can build on it with no agenda and two years it took 00:23:00.202 --> 00:23:06.142 two years from from idea to sending score and parts to orchestra it became a 00:23:06.142 --> 00:23:13.402 full-blown four-movement half an hour symphony just from on the ideas of a violin and piano sonata. 00:23:13.742 --> 00:23:20.502 Is that perhaps your proudest moment to date of your career, writing the symphony? 00:23:20.822 --> 00:23:26.762 I think that Celtic Connections concert to this moment is probably. 00:23:28.074 --> 00:23:31.094 Proudest i've felt of us and and 00:23:31.094 --> 00:23:33.994 that concert was just amazing 00:23:33.994 --> 00:23:36.874 for so many reasons it was with the bbc 00:23:36.874 --> 00:23:40.194 scottish symphony orchestra an orchestra that we have watched and 00:23:40.194 --> 00:23:43.514 grown up watching in glasgow they're an 00:23:43.514 --> 00:23:46.314 amazing orchestra so we got 00:23:46.314 --> 00:23:50.394 the chance to play with them and actually completely rewrite 00:23:50.394 --> 00:23:53.314 our album arabesque which we wrote for 00:23:53.314 --> 00:23:56.114 kind of strings and percussion knowing that 00:23:56.114 --> 00:23:59.134 we had this date with a full symphony orchestra we rewrote 00:23:59.134 --> 00:24:02.174 the whole thing to include woodwind and brass and orchestral percussion 00:24:02.174 --> 00:24:05.034 so we got to play alongside the full symphony orchestra 00:24:05.034 --> 00:24:08.674 in the first half of this concert and present an 00:24:08.674 --> 00:24:11.654 album that we were really proud of but like the 00:24:11.654 --> 00:24:15.274 new and improved 4k hd 00:24:15.274 -->

00:24:19.334 version yeah and then sit 00:24:19.334 --> 00:24:22.174 down in the second half and listen to 00:24:22.174 --> 00:24:25.214 something that we'd written of the result of what 00:24:25.214 --> 00:24:28.054 was a lost opportunity like if you think about the bare 00:24:28.054 --> 00:24:31.114 bones of how the symphony happened it's it started 00:24:31.114 --> 00:24:34.134 by thinking we had a concert in. 00:24:34.134 --> 00:24:37.594 This really amazing venue and then through a 00:24:37.594 --> 00:24:41.374 lot of toing and froing the opportunity was taken away and 00:24:41.374 --> 00:24:44.234 we could have like sulked about it but in the end we actually 00:24:44.234 --> 00:24:47.294 turned that lost opportunity into something really 00:24:47.294 --> 00:24:50.214 beautiful and creative so sitting back 00:24:50.214 --> 00:24:53.474 and watching you know one of the world's leading orchestras 00:24:53.474 --> 00:24:56.374 perform it and then like sit back as composers like 00:24:56.374 --> 00:25:00.194 all in the one evening in scotland the place that we owe so much to that we've 00:25:00.194 --> 00:25:04.594 grown up we had our music education there with family and friends present like 00:25:04.594 --> 00:25:11.194 it it was going to be very difficult to top that that concert it's like one 00:25:11.194 --> 00:25:15.354 of those things that goes beyond anything you ever could have possibly dreamed of. 00:25:15.554 --> 00:25:17.734 Yes? I think so. That's fair to say. 00:25:18.434 --> 00:25:27.754 Yeah. So given the 10 years that you're celebrating, which I think is amazing, and your symphony, 00:25:28.885 --> 00:25:31.665 Is your dad still hoping you'll become Dr. Laura? 00:25:34.145 --> 00:25:40.005 Maybe we should ask him. No, I think that ship has well and truly sailed. 00:25:40.265 --> 00:25:44.665 He's very proud now, especially a moment like Celtic Connection, 00:25:44.825 --> 00:25:46.025 seeing what's possible. 00:25:46.425 --> 00:25:50.945 Obviously, the prestige of being a doctor means a lot in our culture, 00:25:51.185 --> 00:25:55.325 but also a lot of it comes from the security, knowing that you're going to be 00:25:55.325 --> 00:25:58.245 okay. You're always going to have a job, and you're going to have a steady paycheck, 00:25:58.245 --> 00:26:01.025 and it's just, it's predictable and it's comfortable. 00:26:01.585 --> 00:26:09.465 Right. Obviously, part of the resistance for us pursuing a career in music is what does that mean? 00:26:10.305 --> 00:26:14.305 And what does it literally mean financially? Like, how are you supposed to support 00:26:14.305 --> 00:26:17.245 yourself? And it's an unknown for so many people. 00:26:17.665 --> 00:26:20.905 So I kind of, I get the concern. Now I do. 00:26:21.025 --> 00:26:26.065 I think at the time when I was 17, I just, you know, thought he was being difficult 00:26:26.065 --> 00:26:28.405 for the sake of it. But I do understand it now. 00:26:28.505 --> 00:26:32.605 And being 10 years in the industry, we've been through so many different phases in our career. 00:26:32.805 --> 00:26:36.465 We've been signed to a major label. We've been dropped by a major label. 00:26:36.605 --> 00:26:39.145 We've gone through a pandemic. We're now at the other end. 00:26:39.345 --> 00:26:43.445 And the instability of it is really tough. 00:26:44.045 --> 00:26:48.445 And you have to be so resilient and thick-skinned. 00:26:48.505 --> 00:26:53.445 And you have to love what you do to persevere through all of the different phases of the industry. 00:26:53.445 --> 00:26:59.405 Well, you bring up something that I've never had an opportunity to ask a musician 00:26:59.405 --> 00:27:05.005 before, and you both play the strings and also piano. 00:27:05.385 --> 00:27:12.785 What is the longevity of one's fingers and your back and your neck and posture? 00:27:12.825 --> 00:27:20.785 And how does that play into future decisions you make about your career trajectory? Yeah. 00:27:21.332 --> 00:27:26.032 That is such a good question. Possibly something I haven't really kind of dwelled on. 00:27:26.192 --> 00:27:31.292 I mean, you see and hear of pianists who are still gigging and playing. 00:27:31.472 --> 00:27:35.632 And actually, we know an Egyptian pianist who's coming to London at the Robert 00:27:35.632 --> 00:27:39.412 Albert Hall, and he is well into his 80s now. 00:27:39.692 --> 00:27:44.232 And he's still a rock star. He's flying over. He's performing. 00:27:44.672 --> 00:27:47.972 That's exciting. And still writing and being creative. 00:27:48.372 --> 00:27:53.872 So I don't tend to think on a daily basis, like how long are my fingers going to take this? 00:27:53.992 --> 00:27:59.372 Obviously the cello, carrying the cello isn't always the most fun. 00:27:59.552 --> 00:28:02.372 And when you're a pianist, you arrive and the piano is there. 00:28:02.572 --> 00:28:08.352 It's great. You play it, go home. I think it's just maintaining a healthy lifestyle 00:28:08.352 --> 00:28:12.672 and keeping fit and active and healthy. 00:28:13.032 --> 00:28:15.892 And there's no reason why your fingers shouldn't keep running. 00:28:16.212 --> 00:28:19.512 There are muscles at the end of the day. And the more you play, 00:28:19.712 --> 00:28:25.192 you've got that dexterity and kind of fitness. So it's not something I think about. 00:28:25.272 --> 00:28:32.012 I probably should, but it's a good question to think about how long physically or mentally. 00:28:32.292 --> 00:28:38.272 But actually, I think music keeps us young and it's a proven way. I love that. Yeah. 00:28:38.812 --> 00:28:45.252 It keeps your brain in check. Absolutely. And keeps your head and your brain connected. 00:28:45.672 --> 00:28:47.572 And I think if you're just smart... 00:28:48.573 --> 00:28:53.693 With how you kind of treat your body, you should have a kind of prosperous life 00:28:53.693 --> 00:28:55.913 and career alongside. Right. 00:28:56.613 --> 00:29:02.753 Laura, do you feel

the same way? Yeah, I think I've noticed over the last few 00:29:02.753 --> 00:29:06.913 years, I have a bit of a chronic injury that I need to be careful of. 00:29:07.053 --> 00:29:13.453 And I've noticed it flares up during tours, not because of the playing, 00:29:13.713 --> 00:29:15.673 but because of the suitcase, because of the dragging. 00:29:15.673 --> 00:29:18.633 There's like a certain oh right yeah movement 00:29:18.633 --> 00:29:21.633 that will aggravate it so and I've had 00:29:21.633 --> 00:29:24.453 physio on and off for for 10 years 00:29:24.453 --> 00:29:27.633 I think the first time I had issues with this was actually probably longer 00:29:27.633 --> 00:29:30.973 I was remember I was in high school the first time I went and saw a physiotherapist 00:29:30.973 --> 00:29:33.613 so for me I'm maybe slightly more aware of it 00:29:33.613 --> 00:29:36.533 because I've had moments where I've like literally not been 00:29:36.533 --> 00:29:40.993 able to move my neck because I've done one silly movement 00:29:40.993 --> 00:29:43.833 like getting out of bed and my whole back and neck 00:29:43.833 --> 00:29:46.913 has seized up and that's happened a handful of times 00:29:46.913 --> 00:29:51.733 but when it does happen it's absolutely terrifying yeah 00:29:51.733 --> 00:29:54.713 you maintaining your your health 00:29:54.713 --> 00:29:58.153 and keeping fit and doing stretches 00:29:58.153 --> 00:30:01.293 and taking care of your body especially during 00:30:01.293 --> 00:30:06.013 physically intense periods of touring sleeping in different beds with weird 00:30:06.013 --> 00:30:12.753 pillows or or you know upright on a flight for for 15 hours i do worry sometimes 00:30:12.753 --> 00:30:18.253 about how long I will be able to do that before this gets worse. But I'm really just... 00:30:19.082 --> 00:30:25.262 Kind of hoping that if I keep doing my exercises like I do and just take care 00:30:25.262 --> 00:30:28.122 that we will be able to keep doing this for a long time. 00:30:28.362 --> 00:30:33.162 I'll tell you, even though I'm not a musician of any sort, I will tell you that 00:30:33.162 --> 00:30:40.562 I am much more physically fit the older I get, the more active I feel I am. 00:30:40.922 --> 00:30:47.182 And I think that's because it's not conscious, but I think like somewhere in 00:30:47.182 --> 00:30:54.822 the crevices of my mind And there's this little old lady screaming, no, don't sit down. 00:30:55.162 --> 00:31:00.122 You'll never get up. Keep going. You know, it's like, and I don't want to be 00:31:00.122 --> 00:31:07.202 a victim of what could be an age-related issue. I want to live, live, live. 00:31:07.422 --> 00:31:10.502 And, you know, and clearly that's what you want to do. 00:31:10.682 --> 00:31:15.562 How many average, how many days a year do you tour and travel? 00:31:15.562 --> 00:31:18.922 That's a hard one to quantify because it changes. 00:31:19.382 --> 00:31:25.202 For example, the last month and a half, we had 10 shows. 00:31:25.462 --> 00:31:28.602 And that was because we're celebrating a 10 year anniversary. 00:31:28.942 --> 00:31:33.022 And then the next couple of months, they're more sporadic and they're less intense. 00:31:33.382 --> 00:31:39.922 So it does change year by year. and the workload as a musician also changes the way it looks. 00:31:40.062 --> 00:31:44.922 It isn't just live performances. It's also writing. It's also education. 00:31:45.342 --> 00:31:50.722 There's multiple kind of income streams. So if the worst was to happen and you 00:31:50.722 --> 00:31:56.342 could no longer play, it's a big chunk of the pie, but there are other musical 00:31:56.342 --> 00:31:58.582 creative outlets that can still keep you going. 00:31:59.286 --> 00:32:03.106 And not just the physical playing and traveling. Well, they always tell us to 00:32:03.106 --> 00:32:07.666 have additional sources of revenue streams, you know, something I didn't learn 00:32:07.666 --> 00:32:09.246 until I was later in life. 00:32:10.046 --> 00:32:15.726 There's so much more ahead right after the short break. You may think this is just a trip. 00:32:16.046 --> 00:32:20.646 Some sunshine, maybe a glass of wine, a break from your routine. 00:32:21.066 --> 00:32:26.686 But be warned, you're not on this trip alone. Sisters are closer than they appear. 00:32:27.286 --> 00:32:31.266 Over there is a woman who's never turned down a dance floor or a dare. 00:32:31.546 --> 00:32:35.406 Here is a woman who likes the same weird cocktail you like. 00:32:35.646 --> 00:32:39.626 Right next to you is a woman who hasn't laughed like this in years. 00:32:40.386 --> 00:32:46.326 Somewhere between shared meals, shared stories, and shared silence, something shifts. 00:32:46.786 --> 00:32:50.166 You leave not just as friends, but as sisters. 00:32:50.326 --> 00:32:56.946 The kind that sneak into your heart and stay there. Find your sisters at sisterhoodtravels.com. 00:32:56.946 --> 00:32:59.186 Just remember, we warned you. 00:32:59.806 --> 00:33:04.126 Picking right up where we left off. Now here's a more practical question. 00:33:04.586 --> 00:33:10.806 How do you transport your very precious instruments on a plane? 00:33:12.466 --> 00:33:18.446 Very good question. So most of the time, say 99% of the time, 00:33:18.446 --> 00:33:22.026 I will have an additional seat booked next to me in the cabin. 00:33:22.026 --> 00:33:26.626 So I will have my companion, which will be the cello, which is absolutely great. 00:33:26.686 --> 00:33:31.366 Doesn't make small talk, doesn't smell bad, doesn't get up in the middle of the flight. 00:33:32.066 --> 00:33:36.706 Very easygoing. And doesn't try to take both the armrests either. 00:33:37.046 --> 00:33:40.046 No armrests. So it's really straightforward. 00:33:40.426 --> 00:33:44.446 In the occasions where that's not feasible, there is a flight case, 00:33:44.606 --> 00:33:47.706 which means it goes in the hold, which is not without its risks.

00:33:47.706 --> 00:33:53.346 But I try and avoid that at all costs because that case in itself is about 25 kilos those. 00:33:54.074 --> 00:33:58.834 And you're dragging that from venue to venue, from airport to car. 00:33:59.014 --> 00:34:04.334 And that's where you can have a really silly injury just by doing something. 00:34:04.494 --> 00:34:06.674 It's really, it's like, it weighs a ton. 00:34:06.914 --> 00:34:10.134 So most of the time it's in the cabin with me. 00:34:10.374 --> 00:34:21.394 Do you each have special instruments that were created for you or on loan to you? 00:34:21.394 --> 00:34:27.194 Or how do you choose the exact instrument that you are playing on? 00:34:27.534 --> 00:34:33.334 So I have a violin that is on loan to me that I've been playing on also possibly 00:34:33.334 --> 00:34:39.314 for seven years now, which I'm very, very fortunate to be playing on. 00:34:39.594 --> 00:34:43.054 It's loaned to me by Florian Leonhard, who is a violin maker and dealer. 00:34:43.214 --> 00:34:46.414 He's very well known in the UK and in the States and actually all over. 00:34:46.774 --> 00:34:50.174 It's a galliano. know it's a beautiful instrument and 00:34:50.174 --> 00:34:53.714 it's quite common that violinists don't 00:34:53.714 --> 00:34:57.154 own their own instruments that they're loaned generously 00:34:57.154 --> 00:35:03.674 through either dealers or kind of um what would you call philanthropists and 00:35:03.674 --> 00:35:07.954 yeah or kind of organizations that have a collection of instruments that will 00:35:07.954 --> 00:35:15.294 give them out depending on you know personal circumstances so that that is my current situation. 00:35:15.614 --> 00:35:19.434 I wish to play that violin for a long period of time. I hope I'm able to. 00:35:19.994 --> 00:35:24.254 Sarah's is a slightly different story. Mine is a very different story, 00:35:24.434 --> 00:35:30.994 which basically I was in the market to buy an instrument and typical me tried 00:35:30.994 --> 00:35:34.954 loads in the UK and didn't quite find the one. 00:35:35.454 --> 00:35:37.734 Ended up on holiday in Salzburg. 00:35:38.254 --> 00:35:43.154 And for a joke, I just said, I'll look up the dealers near the hotel to see 00:35:43.154 --> 00:35:50.454 if there's anyone around and I could just try for fun and I ended up going and the dealer kind of. 00:35:51.085 --> 00:35:55.285 Put on the floor a row of like six jellos and was like have a go see what you 00:35:55.285 --> 00:36:00.865 think so i went through them all and there was one that kind of took to my fancy 00:36:00.865 --> 00:36:02.425 it just felt it's it's like, 00:36:02.985 --> 00:36:08.285 what's it called not cinderella the glass slipper the glass slipper the fit 00:36:08.285 --> 00:36:12.865 yeah the bear and the porridge the porridge let's go with the slipper so go 00:36:12.865 --> 00:36:18.045 with the nuts or whatever anyway it was like Please don't compare your cello to a bowl of porridge. 00:36:19.685 --> 00:36:25.145 Not too big, not too small, not too loud, not too quiet. It just felt just right. 00:36:25.385 --> 00:36:30.945 And then it was a case of like, I like this cello. How do we bring it back to the UK? 00:36:31.485 --> 00:36:35.665 And this is going back more than 10 years ago. 00:36:35.805 --> 00:36:40.925 This is going back 15 years ago at a time where we didn't have mobile banking. 00:36:41.305 --> 00:36:46.265 Tech was very kind of very simple and basic. So you had to go at face value 00:36:46.265 --> 00:36:50.885 and basically tell the guy, I promise to wire you the money once I get back 00:36:50.885 --> 00:36:56.045 to the UK because I'm on holiday and I can only withdraw 500 pounds towards this cello. Right. 00:36:56.365 --> 00:37:01.625 And the guy trusted us. He helped us book an additional seat on the flight home. He wrapped it up. 00:37:01.845 --> 00:37:06.685 And then we flew back home with this brand new instrument that no one had heard. 00:37:06.745 --> 00:37:12.225 Because, again, when you purchase an instrument, there is a protocol that you take it on trial. 00:37:12.725 --> 00:37:16.265 You try it out for a couple of weeks to a month or so where 00:37:16.265 --> 00:37:19.205 you get to play on it you get to record on it you play with 00:37:19.205 --> 00:37:22.265 a group and see how it responds in in 00:37:22.265 --> 00:37:25.505 situations outside of the showroom which sounds acoustically 00:37:25.505 --> 00:37:28.725 gorgeous if you try anything right but I didn't 00:37:28.725 --> 00:37:31.605 have that luxury because I was on holiday and I 00:37:31.605 --> 00:37:34.345 didn't have a teacher with me so I just it was just a 00:37:34.345 --> 00:37:40.505 gut instinct and I took it home and I still play it to this day and people often 00:37:40.505 --> 00:37:43.985 say what is that instrument and where did you get it and it was like this was 00:37:43.985 --> 00:37:49.705 my holiday impulse purchase yeah it's stood me well and it's still there and 00:37:49.705 --> 00:37:54.285 it's on every recording that we've released to date wow so. 00:37:55.091 --> 00:38:00.931 Is the longevity of your cello the same as your own, so to speak? 00:38:01.271 --> 00:38:07.351 So the longevity of the instrument is how you take care of it and how it's treated. 00:38:07.851 --> 00:38:14.371 And absolutely, I mean, Laura's violin is from the 1800s. I know, that's so exciting. 00:38:14.671 --> 00:38:18.591 And it's still got longevity. My instrument was born in 2007, 00:38:18.591 --> 00:38:24.071 so it's still brand new and can have so much longevity. It's still a baby. 00:38:24.311 --> 00:38:27.751 It's still a baby. It can go down from generations to generations. 00:38:28.111 --> 00:38:33.051 So absolutely, these instruments can last a very long time and have many lives 00:38:33.051 --> 00:38:34.251 and many people playing them. 00:38:34.391 --> 00:38:37.751 And often appreciate it in value. And sound. 00:38:37.991 -->

00:38:40.071 Time goes on. And sound as well. Right. 00:38:40.431 --> 00:38:45.871 Like fine wine. There you go. Now, I'd like to pivot just a little bit and go 00:38:45.871 --> 00:38:51.751 back to your symphony and your writing because I'm curious how, 00:38:51.991 --> 00:38:55.011 you know, While you're sisters, you work together, 00:38:55.291 --> 00:38:59.591 you each have your own emotions and your feelings and, I guess, 00:38:59.811 --> 00:39:01.611 similar but different hearts. 00:39:01.611 --> 00:39:09.171 So how do you combine all of that into writing a cohesive music? 00:39:10.251 --> 00:39:16.711 It's like a really fun game of tennis. To kind of put a metaphor to it, 00:39:16.831 --> 00:39:21.311 you're batting ideas back and forth and you want to keep this rally going. 00:39:21.311 --> 00:39:25.531 You want to keep this rally going between the two And writing this symphony 00:39:25.531 --> 00:39:30.691 It very much felt like a collaborative Game I would start off with an idea, 00:39:31.431 --> 00:39:36.791 I'd pass it on to Laura She would maybe do some things To pass it back and we'd 00:39:36.791 --> 00:39:42.631 keep going Until we were happy with how this Was sounding Often we would have. 00:39:43.506 --> 00:39:46.226 Different ideals and how something should go so that's 00:39:46.226 --> 00:39:50.946 when you you do a smash and then the game ends for a second and then you right 00:39:50.946 --> 00:40:00.566 do a smash yeah yeah and and that kind of that's where you have the two heads 00:40:00.566 --> 00:40:03.666 trying to come together but we had the common goal and the common. 00:40:04.206 --> 00:40:08.046 We wanted the common output and end end 00:40:08.046 --> 00:40:10.866 result and it's just maybe you have two different ways of getting 00:40:10.866 --> 00:40:14.526 there but it was just that kind of back and forth game of 00:40:14.526 --> 00:40:17.826 tennis right so do you feel as 00:40:17.826 --> 00:40:21.366 you move forward that there are more symphonies in 00:40:21.366 --> 00:40:24.566 your future I think so I I 00:40:24.566 --> 00:40:27.366 really I enjoyed the process I found 00:40:27.366 --> 00:40:31.006 it difficult I definitely would hold 00:40:31.006 --> 00:40:34.106 my hand on my heart and say it was 00:40:34.106 --> 00:40:37.326 not an easy process that just flows without 00:40:37.326 --> 00:40:40.666 its difficulties which some creative endeavors have 00:40:40.666 --> 00:40:43.846 just flown and we it was really easy 00:40:43.846 --> 00:40:47.066 and I thought this is just like feels 00:40:47.066 --> 00:40:50.046 like walking me and my element I did not 00:40:50.046 --> 00:40:52.706 feel like this with the symphony it was really it was 00:40:52.706 --> 00:40:55.606 the most challenging thing personally I have 00:40:55.606 --> 00:40:58.706 ever done which also made it the most rewarding thing 00:40:58.706 --> 00:41:01.566 ever actually hearing it played and thinking of 00:41:01.566 --> 00:41:04.426 persevering of like I don't know what should happen after 00:41:04.426 --> 00:41:07.246 a bit or this transition is not sitting well or this groove 00:41:07.246 --> 00:41:11.166 is not sitting right what do we do and all of the troubleshooting and 00:41:11.166 --> 00:41:15.246 actually like persevering through all of it and not just kind of parking it 00:41:15.246 --> 00:41:18.346 forgetting about it because it was too hard like i was really proud that we 00:41:18.346 --> 00:41:23.366 saw it through to the end and the the end product is something that i would 00:41:23.366 --> 00:41:27.186 listen to and that i'm actually quite enjoying listening to which in itself 00:41:27.186 --> 00:41:29.966 absolutely yeah because it's so many points. 00:41:30.106 --> 00:41:34.186 It's like this sounds terrible. Who would listen to this? I do think that. 00:41:34.855 --> 00:41:39.175 I would try and write another one. I mean, this one was very much an Arabic symphony. 00:41:39.275 --> 00:41:45.475 It was completely inspired by Arabic themes and grooves and Arabic instruments, 00:41:45.655 --> 00:41:47.295 particularly in the percussion family. 00:41:47.535 --> 00:41:56.575 And it had such a distinct and tangible inspiration that it was quite, 00:41:56.835 --> 00:41:59.195 like we had so many different places to start. 00:41:59.335 --> 00:42:01.815 Each movement was kind of inspired by a different region. 00:42:02.275 --> 00:42:07.035 That is how we write best, I think, when we have a clear source of inspiration. 00:42:07.415 --> 00:42:11.315 Maybe next is to write something inspired by our Scottish upbringing. 00:42:11.575 --> 00:42:15.555 Maybe that would make sense. And again, we'd have something really clear to 00:42:15.555 --> 00:42:16.855 kind of draw inspiration from. 00:42:17.135 --> 00:42:23.135 I don't know what's next, but I would at some point, I think it's too soon. 00:42:23.395 --> 00:42:27.875 Right now, it's too soon. Ah, yeah, too soon. We need to get the thing recorded first. 00:42:28.095 --> 00:42:33.915 But at some point, I would like to lock ourselves away. And we work really best 00:42:33.915 --> 00:42:35.615 when we do lock ourselves away. 00:42:35.855 --> 00:42:40.155 So yes, the symphony took two years, but if I actually think of the concise 00:42:40.155 --> 00:42:45.035 periods of time that we locked ourselves away, it's probably like a handful 00:42:45.035 --> 00:42:50.375 of months, actually, the condensed writing periods. We would go home for like two weeks. 00:42:50.435 --> 00:42:54.215 We would not change out of our pajamas. We wouldn't see a single soul. 00:42:54.455 --> 00:42:57.975 We'd only go for one walk a day, if that, because the weather was usually, 00:42:58.115 --> 00:42:59.495 we had to even go outside. 00:42:59.495 --> 00:43:02.495 And we would do like a really solid chunk of writing 00:43:02.495 --> 00:43:05.315 and then we'd leave it and then we'd go on tour 00:43:05.315 --> 00:43:08.175 for like a couple of months and we

wouldn't really think about it and 00:43:08.175 --> 00:43:11.055 then we'd put in the diary oh yeah we'd put a writing retreat 00:43:11.055 --> 00:43:14.575 in okay this time she's going to come to mine and same again we're probably 00:43:14.575 --> 00:43:17.695 not going to leave the house we're going to not practice or touch our instruments 00:43:17.695 --> 00:43:23.215 because this is a writing phase and that's really how we work best I've found 00:43:23.215 --> 00:43:27.255 over the last 10 years when we really just have a condensed plan. 00:43:27.555 --> 00:43:28.715 Timeframe and deadline. 00:43:29.015 --> 00:43:32.095 We love a good deadline. That's when we work the best. 00:43:32.335 --> 00:43:37.375 Do you ever wake up in the morning and just for, regardless of writing a symphony, 00:43:37.515 --> 00:43:39.295 but do you ever just wake up in the morning and go, 00:43:40.004 --> 00:43:45.784 I don't feel like playing today. Oh, yeah. That happens. That happens. 00:43:46.544 --> 00:43:50.384 Yeah. And I think that's only natural. You get fatigue. Yeah. 00:43:50.964 --> 00:43:54.684 Even writer's fatigue of like, I can't open my life. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. 00:43:55.104 --> 00:43:59.644 And then you get the opposite where you wake up with the idea in your head and 00:43:59.644 --> 00:44:02.184 you will not have breakfast until you've written it down. 00:44:02.644 --> 00:44:05.664 And then there are days where you just want to play your instrument and you're 00:44:05.664 --> 00:44:10.724 like, wow, it's been four hours and I'm having a great time. And so you get. Right. 00:44:11.144 --> 00:44:14.424 Yeah. How did you get the idea? I just have to ask you this. 00:44:14.504 --> 00:44:20.304 And I meant to ask you earlier, what inspired you to do what you did with Uptown 00:44:20.304 --> 00:44:22.424 Funk? Because personally, I love it. 00:44:22.644 --> 00:44:29.804 But where did that come from? Because that kind of started you a little bit on this path of. 00:44:30.615 --> 00:44:34.695 Fame and fortune, shall we say, but where'd you get that from? 00:44:35.135 --> 00:44:38.395 It's going back to, again, when Laura said guilty pleasures. 00:44:38.715 --> 00:44:42.455 So we loved jamming. We are classically trained. 00:44:42.595 --> 00:44:48.415 We play classical instruments, very strict classical regime, but we love jamming. 00:44:48.575 --> 00:44:55.655 We love playing R&B, pop, you name it, on our classical instruments in a practice 00:44:55.655 --> 00:44:57.195 room or in the living room for fun. 00:44:57.195 --> 00:45:00.315 Before we then get back to you know doing our 00:45:00.315 --> 00:45:03.395 technique and our scales and concertos so it was 00:45:03.395 --> 00:45:06.055 always always a fun guilty pleasure that we do 00:45:06.055 --> 00:45:08.995 in the background and i guess with uptown funk 00:45:08.995 --> 00:45:12.075 it was the first time that the guilty pleasure came out 00:45:12.075 --> 00:45:17.275 of the practice room and actually was shared online as a video even although 00:45:17.275 --> 00:45:21.235 the arrangement itself the very first arrangement that we ever did was very 00:45:21.235 --> 00:45:27.515 simple it was literally two people jamming having fun right And then that had 00:45:27.515 --> 00:45:31.975 the kind of ripple effect of tapping into this crossover world, 00:45:32.135 --> 00:45:34.435 writing arrangements for then full orchestra. 00:45:42.760 --> 00:45:47.140 But yeah, it stems from this kind of us doing something cheeky and slightly 00:45:47.140 --> 00:45:49.540 naughty compared to our other classical peers. 00:45:49.920 --> 00:45:53.480 Right. Kind of like a break from reality a little bit, right? 00:45:53.720 --> 00:45:57.660 Yeah. Yeah, or a breath of fresh air. Like when you've been practicing like 00:45:57.660 --> 00:46:04.140 a really difficult piece for so long and you want a break, but not necessarily 00:46:04.140 --> 00:46:05.680 a break from the instrument, 00:46:06.100 --> 00:46:12.320 but like a break from that kind of cycle of practice and doing something like just having a jam. 00:46:12.320 --> 00:46:17.880 Could just revitalize and re-energize the love for music for a second to then 00:46:17.880 --> 00:46:22.940 persevere throughout the next kind of three-hour cycle of practice. 00:46:23.820 --> 00:46:29.780 So now I'm very excited to hear that you have a new single being released. 00:46:29.920 --> 00:46:34.460 Is it March 6th on International Women's Day? Tell me about that. 00:46:34.980 --> 00:46:39.980 Absolutely. Gosh, this single has been cooking for a very long time. 00:46:40.960 --> 00:46:47.380 And it's all part of our 10-year celebration Celebrating us and where we come 00:46:47.380 --> 00:46:52.760 from And we wanted to do something a little bit unorthodox As we always do With 00:46:52.760 --> 00:46:55.840 a piece of classical music that many people will recognise, 00:46:56.580 --> 00:46:59.720 But we wanted to give it a bit of an Arabic and Asian 00:46:59.720 --> 00:47:02.800 spin So it's a piece by 00:47:02.800 --> 00:47:09.180 Vivaldi It's from the Four Seasons But we kind of wanted to play on the rhythmical 00:47:09.180 --> 00:47:15.700 playfulness of the piece and incorporate Arabic percussion and Indian tabla 00:47:15.700 --> 00:47:20.360 to just give it a completely different flavor, essentially. 00:47:21.260 --> 00:47:26.200 So we're really excited. I cannot wait to hear this. Let me ask you something. 00:47:26.680 --> 00:47:34.660 Have you thought about your impact that the two of you have on the, 00:47:35.027 --> 00:47:38.787 younger girls who are interested 00:47:38.787 --> 00:47:41.507 in music but don't necessarily see it as a 00:47:41.507 --> 00:47:44.687 pathway for them or perhaps have parents 00:47:44.687 --> 00:47:48.327 who don't see it as a pathway for them yeah we're 00:47:48.327 --> 00:47:52.287 we're conscious of the difficulties 00:47:52.287 --> 00:47:55.747 i'm going to just speak from from the

00:47:55.747 --> 00:48:00.987 perspective of the arabic culture because that is that is what we know the struggles 00:48:00.987 --> 00:48:06.607 that I personally had with you know the career path and what it means and I 00:48:06.607 --> 00:48:14.707 know right several young girls and boys from a similar cultural upbringing, 00:48:15.407 --> 00:48:23.187 face that daily and I would consider myself quite lucky that yes there was turbulent 00:48:23.187 --> 00:48:26.007 couple of years but I got out the other side. 00:48:26.207 --> 00:48:30.107 I did go to the Royal College of Music and I did pursue music and my parents 00:48:30.107 --> 00:48:33.867 encouraged me throughout that journey and we're in a good place now. 00:48:34.407 --> 00:48:39.387 That is a quite rare outcome of this whole narrative. 00:48:39.907 --> 00:48:43.827 And to add to that, this is Laura talking about going into a career. 00:48:44.627 --> 00:48:48.047 Rewind to even a child just picking up an instrument as a hobby. 00:48:48.047 --> 00:48:51.247 That is also not endorsed forget 00:48:51.247 --> 00:48:54.487 about career career is another oh even just 00:48:54.487 --> 00:48:58.527 having it in the house as an extracurricular activity 00:48:58.527 --> 00:49:04.627 as an outlet as a creative thing it's also not encouraged within our community 00:49:04.627 --> 00:49:11.587 I did not know that it's it depends if it's like you are you you're supposed 00:49:11.587 --> 00:49:14.627 to be doing homework you're supposed to be studying you're supposed to be reading you're. 00:49:18.040 --> 00:49:21.360 Playing violin for an hour is considered a detraction from 00:49:21.360 --> 00:49:24.360 that not an asset something that is expanding 00:49:24.360 --> 00:49:28.280 something that is teaching you skills beyond necessarily 00:49:28.280 --> 00:49:32.380 what you're learning in your academics that's when 00:49:32.380 --> 00:49:35.500 it may not be encouraged again there's extremes 00:49:35.500 --> 00:49:39.640 on both ends and there's a middle ground yeah but knowing 00:49:39.640 --> 00:49:42.680 and hearing so many stories and meeting lots 00:49:42.680 --> 00:49:46.060 of of younger generation arabic kids 00:49:46.060 --> 00:49:48.840 that is that is the case a 00:49:48.840 --> 00:49:51.840 lot of the times it's considered you know waste a 00:49:51.840 --> 00:49:55.560 waste of time rather than you're actually refining yourself 00:49:55.560 --> 00:49:58.700 as a human being and learning life skills completely beyond 00:49:58.700 --> 00:50:01.400 right the academics are teaching you at 00:50:01.400 --> 00:50:04.780 school so it's a very deep-rooted issue 00:50:04.780 --> 00:50:07.720 that needs kind of years of of 00:50:07.720 --> 00:50:10.940 reframing the narrative so picking 00:50:10.940 --> 00:50:13.580 up an instrument or playing in an 00:50:13.580 --> 00:50:16.620 orchestra or singing in a choir is seen as something that 00:50:16.620 --> 00:50:19.800 is going to help you become 00:50:19.800 --> 00:50:22.840 a well-rounded individual yeah it's a value add 00:50:22.840 --> 00:50:25.900 to your life not yes rather than 00:50:25.900 --> 00:50:31.540 you know you're like seeing it as you've been on the playstation for hours like 00:50:31.540 --> 00:50:38.780 putting them in the same camp of just like a pastime fun with with no real benefit 00:50:38.780 --> 00:50:42.660 and then now gamers probably will come at me and be like no but this is important 00:50:42.660 --> 00:50:44.300 and maybe they're right right now. 00:50:45.620 --> 00:50:48.800 Either but yeah yeah it is 00:50:48.800 --> 00:50:51.680 it's it's funny I feel very conflicted about 00:50:51.680 --> 00:50:54.440 it because like we had a certain experience we we know 00:50:54.440 --> 00:50:57.920 hundreds of stories of other people's experiences we 00:50:57.920 --> 00:51:01.840 are now at a point in our career where we 00:51:01.840 --> 00:51:09.720 are known in the Arab world and we do now get a lot of parents that that say 00:51:09.720 --> 00:51:13.220 to us at the end of concerts we're so proud and we want our kids to be like 00:51:13.220 --> 00:51:18.080 you and that's a really challenging thing to be told sometimes because. 00:51:19.084 --> 00:51:21.944 At the root of it kind of like do you 00:51:21.944 --> 00:51:25.504 really mean that right are 00:51:25.504 --> 00:51:28.224 you treating your child in that 00:51:28.224 --> 00:51:31.044 way that actually are you encouraging them or are you 00:51:31.044 --> 00:51:34.124 proud of us because we've been on tv and you know we're we're 00:51:34.124 --> 00:51:37.224 you know flying the flag for for the 00:51:37.224 --> 00:51:40.344 middle east uh it's it's a it's a difficult one 00:51:40.344 --> 00:51:43.484 i don't know if you want to add to this in in in 00:51:43.484 --> 00:51:46.424 a way that i'm not articulating no i think you've articulated it 00:51:46.424 --> 00:51:49.444 as weird i think when someone excels at something 00:51:49.444 --> 00:51:52.184 the the nation gets behind them whether it's 00:51:52.184 --> 00:51:55.264 in football we've got a very famous egyptian footballer 00:51:55.264 --> 00:51:58.144 who's who's now now kids are endorsed to play 00:51:58.144 --> 00:52:01.784 sports and sports has actually been encouraged much 00:52:01.784 --> 00:52:04.524 more much more so than 00:52:04.524 --> 00:52:07.624 music has you know but but when muhammad was training 00:52:07.624 --> 00:52:10.684 in egypt as a child was he encouraged was. 00:52:10.684 --> 00:52:13.624 He told you have to do your homework stop 00:52:13.624 --> 00:52:16.964 wasting time outside or is it now that he's 00:52:16.964 --> 00:52:20.124 representing egypt on an international level playing 00:52:20.124 --> 00:52:23.264 for liverpool that now right so it's 00:52:23.264 --> 00:52:26.124 like it's like a chicken yeah you don't just 00:52:26.124 --> 00:52:29.364 become muhammad salah like you have you have 00:52:29.364 --> 00:52:32.884 to

have the years of the training and you 00:52:32.884 --> 00:52:35.624 know to to then give yourself a fighting chance to 00:52:35.624 --> 00:52:38.744 become at a point where you can be recognized in an international arena 00:52:38.744 --> 00:52:45.104 that is an interesting dilemma i've read a lot in the past about tiger moms 00:52:45.104 --> 00:52:50.304 you know it's a term they use for you know asian moms who are just like academic 00:52:50.304 --> 00:52:56.204 academic academic academic and how the demands are just. 00:52:57.263 --> 00:53:01.043 Suffocating and so overwhelming in that area. 00:53:01.303 --> 00:53:09.383 It seems to me that your parents were very unique in your culture, 00:53:09.383 --> 00:53:17.103 that they even allowed you to and encourage you to at least start with the music as a hobby. 00:53:17.363 --> 00:53:20.523 Yeah, they definitely were very unique 00:53:20.523 --> 00:53:23.803 in allowing us and encouraging 00:53:23.803 --> 00:53:27.403 us and trusting that we 00:53:27.403 --> 00:53:30.763 would find the time and the day to get everything done 00:53:30.763 --> 00:53:33.863 so we would study we would do our homework 00:53:33.863 --> 00:53:36.523 we would practice and this is 00:53:36.523 --> 00:53:41.363 what i would say to to those that are that their children are perhaps interested 00:53:41.363 --> 00:53:47.263 trust trust that they're going to work hard to fulfill everything that they 00:53:47.263 --> 00:53:53.483 need to at this point in their life right right children are so capable of being 00:53:53.483 --> 00:53:55.003 able to do multiple things. 00:53:56.003 --> 00:54:00.283 And I think the worry is, you know, if you're not spending out every minute 00:54:00.283 --> 00:54:03.963 of the day on your studies, then you're going to fail your exams and you won't get into university. 00:54:04.203 --> 00:54:09.843 No, we actually were taken out of academic classes to have our music lessons. 00:54:09.843 --> 00:54:15.443 We missed out on school and we caught up in our own time and still excelled. 00:54:15.643 --> 00:54:19.843 And, you know, if you give a child a challenge, they will rise to it. 00:54:19.843 --> 00:54:27.763 So, yeah, I think it's having the faith and the courage to allow a child to 00:54:27.763 --> 00:54:36.343 kind of create what they want in their life and to spend time in each place. 00:54:36.343 --> 00:54:38.723 And it's all going to help. 00:54:38.983 --> 00:54:41.643 It's all for the bigger picture. Yes. 00:54:41.943 --> 00:54:48.283 To me, there's two things that are the major languages of the world. 00:54:48.803 --> 00:54:53.483 One is smiling because everyone understands a smile. 00:54:53.903 --> 00:55:00.063 And I think music is the other. Even if I don't happen to like a particular 00:55:00.063 --> 00:55:05.543 style of music, it's still possible it can reach my heart at some point. 00:55:05.783 --> 00:55:11.263 I don't need to know what's being said. I don't need to know the mechanics of 00:55:11.263 --> 00:55:13.263 it. But I know how it makes me feel. 00:55:13.443 --> 00:55:16.703 I think that's true with all art, really. 00:55:16.703 --> 00:55:20.523 But as we come to 00:55:20.523 --> 00:55:26.383 an end here i think my biggest question for you is what message do you want 00:55:26.383 --> 00:55:36.763 your music to bring to the world and what do you want your legacy to be those are big questions. 00:55:38.052 --> 00:55:42.612 I know. I'm a tough one, aren't I? These things just pop out of nowhere. 00:55:43.012 --> 00:55:46.472 I think I can answer the first one. No. Okay. 00:55:47.372 --> 00:55:52.152 And I think this has been the case from the beginning when we started playing 00:55:52.152 --> 00:55:55.632 together that our music doesn't fit in a box. 00:55:55.972 --> 00:55:59.652 We don't fit in a box as people. We are Scottish, Egyptian. 00:55:59.692 --> 00:56:02.692 We are classically trained playing different genres. 00:56:02.692 --> 00:56:05.492 And I think our music reflects this kind of 00:56:05.492 --> 00:56:09.692 diversity and coming together of 00:56:09.692 --> 00:56:12.992 different styles cultures nationalities and 00:56:12.992 --> 00:56:15.812 flavors and we hope that that 00:56:15.812 --> 00:56:20.512 music in turn speaks to to many people and brings different people together 00:56:20.512 --> 00:56:25.892 in that universal language that you just spoke about um and doesn't discriminate 00:56:25.892 --> 00:56:32.552 it everyone is welcome be still my heart because i love that and and and i think 00:56:32.552 --> 00:56:35.532 your music is doing that From my perspective, 00:56:35.972 --> 00:56:40.332 I never listen to music myself and think of Division. 00:56:40.852 --> 00:56:45.792 It doesn't even come into my head, although we certainly know that there are people who do. 00:56:46.172 --> 00:56:51.992 But that is a very wonderful message for the world to hear. 00:56:52.924 --> 00:56:57.384 Laura, has she assigned you question number two? Yeah, in a way, 00:56:57.824 --> 00:57:01.964 the legacy kind of ties in with what you said, which is, 00:57:02.324 --> 00:57:07.084 I'd love for as long as we are performing and writing music, 00:57:07.424 --> 00:57:14.244 that what we write and how we present it is always going to be in a format, 00:57:14.244 --> 00:57:18.504 an environment that brings different people together. 00:57:18.504 --> 00:57:21.624 So right this arabic 00:57:21.624 --> 00:57:24.964 symphony for example i would love for 00:57:24.964 --> 00:57:27.884 the arabic population a lot 00:57:27.884 --> 00:57:31.644 of them that don't necessarily ever go 00:57:31.644 --> 00:57:35.284 to a concert hall to see an orchestra and 00:57:35.284 --> 00:57:38.504 if they do very rarely will 00:57:38.504 --> 00:57:41.344 listen to the music or watch the musicians on 00:57:41.344 --> 00:57:45.244 stage and feel like they've been represented in anyway just 00:57:45.244 --> 00:57:48.024 historically speaking doesn't really

happen 00:57:48.024 --> 00:57:51.204 yeah and in terms of legacy or 00:57:51.204 --> 00:57:54.064 or life goals i'd love 00:57:54.064 --> 00:58:00.744 to keep making music and presenting them in concerts where just speaking from 00:58:00.744 --> 00:58:06.224 our our heritage the arabic community whether it's little girls or you know 00:58:06.224 --> 00:58:12.224 a good though a grandfather will walk in and listen and watch and see the people 00:58:12.224 --> 00:58:13.404 around them and think like, 00:58:13.544 --> 00:58:17.224 oh yeah, there's so-and-so from the, you know, like there's a community. 00:58:17.504 --> 00:58:22.184 There's a community that historically speaking hasn't been... 00:58:22.659 --> 00:58:26.179 Represented or even celebrated so i 00:58:26.179 --> 00:58:29.279 i want us to continue celebrating our culture and 00:58:29.279 --> 00:58:32.699 our heritage through music because it's the only only way 00:58:32.699 --> 00:58:38.759 we know how and you know in a hundred years time i hope this symphony continues 00:58:38.759 --> 00:58:42.699 to be played or music that we've written continues to be programmed and the 00:58:42.699 --> 00:58:48.059 future generation of of arabs keep going to concert halls and thinking you know 00:58:48.059 --> 00:58:50.079 oh there's something that I can relate to. 00:58:50.279 --> 00:58:52.539 And there's something that I feel like represents me. 00:58:52.959 --> 00:58:56.399 And I think that's quite a legacy to leave. 00:58:56.879 --> 00:59:01.699 I really do. First of all, I can't tell you how much I enjoy you both. 00:59:01.859 --> 00:59:04.239 And I learned so much from you. 00:59:04.619 --> 00:59:07.739 Do you have any chores happening in the US? 00:59:09.379 --> 00:59:15.739 That is an eternal question. We are working on it. We're really trying hard. 00:59:15.919 --> 00:59:21.939 It's not straightforward it's not easy we'd love to and we have a lot of family 00:59:21.939 --> 00:59:27.299 there a lot of friends there and we have a desire to go and we are working on 00:59:27.299 --> 00:59:29.839 it behind the scenes so watch the space. 00:59:30.759 --> 00:59:37.159 Always always and of course we are going to put all of your your website and 00:59:37.159 --> 00:59:41.299 and your youtube and and all the things that you provide for us we are going 00:59:41.299 --> 00:59:47.339 to put on our show notes where will we find that. 00:59:47.946 --> 00:59:54.566 On March 6th, your new single. So the single will be released on all digital 00:59:54.566 --> 00:59:57.066 streaming platforms. It's called Summer. 00:59:57.566 --> 01:00:02.046 And the music video will follow on International Women's Day, 01:00:02.186 --> 01:00:06.606 which is the 8th of March, and features two very inspiring women, 01:00:06.926 --> 01:00:09.266 one from Palestine and one from India. 01:00:09.686 --> 01:00:15.566 And finding these two women was not easy. And we really were keen on this lineup 01:00:15.566 --> 01:00:21.586 to be an all-female empowering moment, playing traditional classical music in 01:00:21.586 --> 01:00:23.926 a way that has been completely reimagined. 01:00:24.046 --> 01:00:30.066 And these two ladies did an incredible job and are showcased so amazingly in 01:00:30.066 --> 01:00:32.146 the musical arrangement, but also in the video. 01:00:32.306 --> 01:00:35.906 So that will be on our YouTube channel and that will come out on the 8th of 01:00:35.906 --> 01:00:37.646 March on International Women's Day. 01:00:37.646 --> 01:00:40.506 I'm so excited and I 01:00:40.506 --> 01:00:43.826 will be sure to make sure even 01:00:43.826 --> 01:00:46.966 outside of this podcast that everyone I 01:00:46.966 --> 01:00:53.566 know is aware of it but I hope I see you both again much sooner rather than 01:00:53.566 --> 01:01:00.406 later Laura and Sarah thank you so so much for joining me today you know I love 01:01:00.406 --> 01:01:03.326 classical music and every once in a while I'll meet someone that goes, 01:01:03.406 --> 01:01:04.946 oh, I don't like classical music. 01:01:05.166 --> 01:01:10.046 And I have actually said to them, eh, don't say that because there's so many 01:01:10.046 --> 01:01:12.046 variations of classical music. 01:01:12.646 --> 01:01:17.006 You ladies are a perfect example of that, the way you incorporate pop and funk 01:01:17.006 --> 01:01:20.286 and cultural elements into your music. 01:01:20.866 --> 01:01:25.306 Thank you so much for sharing about your lives and your journey. 01:01:26.026 --> 01:01:31.826 And I hope I get to see you again very soon. Thanks so much for having us. Nice to see you. 01:01:32.406 --> 01:01:36.326 If you like this show, please be sure to like us, follow us, 01:01:36.526 --> 01:01:41.206 subscribe to us, give us a review, because it really helps grow our podcast.