Q&A with Superstar Dancer, Violinist and Musical Innovator Lindsey Stirling
Lindsey Stirling is an innovator in every sense of the word. Her ground-breaking fusion of hip hop, dubstep and classical violin wowed judges and audiences alike as a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent in 2010. She’s fashioned an international-career-launching YouTube channel, with upwards of 650 million views, showcasing her electrifying compositions, dazzling videos and imaginative collaborations. Her latest album, ‘Shatter Me,’ is topping charts around the globe. And, Lindsey Stirling just happens to be one of the nicest, most genuine artists we’ve had the privileged of working with.
We asked Lindsey if she’d mind sharing a little about her musical background, her tips for building a YouTube audience and what’s next for the still-rising superstar. Of course, she kindly obliged. (Did we mention she’s really, really nice?)
Your music is so original and has undoubtedly inspired many young people to take up violin, in particular. Would you mind telling us just a little about your classical background and how you think that training helped influence your career?
L.S. I learned the Suzuki method when I was young. I couldn’t read music very well (I had mild dyslexia) so I learned by ear. At first I felt cursed, because I had such a hard time reading music, but ultimately it ended up being a blessing in disguise because it forced me to listen. When I write my music, I don’t actually write anything down; I create as I go. The one thing I tell young musicians who ask me what they should do to improve their playing is to focus on the boring stuff: scales and arpeggios. Master them, know them frontwards backwards and sideways! And then reward yourself by playing something fun.
When did you start composing your own songs? Was there anything, in particular, that prompted you to start writing music?
L.S. In high school I joined the band “Stomp On Melvin,” and I had to learn to improvise to their punk-rock songs. I had SO much fun! We even went on a little tour haha; here’s a music video we made together. My senior year of high school I entered the America’s Junior Miss Pageant and composed my first original solo. In an effort to impress the judges I choreographed some simple dance moves. I ended up winning the Arizona competition and went on to get 2nd place in the talent category at the national competition; yay! (See the video here! -ed.)
Congratulations on the amazing new hit album! Was there a difference in your writing/recording experience between ‘Lindsey Stirling‘ and ‘Shatter Me‘?
L.S. Most of the songs I wrote for my first album were done with producer Marco G. Back then we released them one at a time, on YouTube, and then once we had almost enough singles to make an album we went ahead with that. Once released, there were only a few songs on the album that no one had ever heard before. With ‘Shatter Me,’ I didn’t release any of my songs on YouTube prior to my album except for “Beyond the Veil” and “Shatter Me” right before the release. I also worked with several new producers in an effort to come up with some original-sounding songs. I didn’t want my new album to sound totally foreign to my first…I mean I still wanted the new music to sound like “me.” But I didn’t want it to sound exactly the same either. I think that the biggest challenge in writing my second album was trying to come up with content that was fresh, new, and exciting.
Back in 2007, when you first started Lindseystomp on YouTube, did you have any idea that the medium would play such a big role in your career?
L.S. I had high hopes, but I don’t think I anticipated just how successful the channel would become. I feel very blessed. Devin Graham (devinsupertramp) had a successful YouTube channel and actually contacted me before I knew much about YouTube at all. He offered to film me/make a music video for me for free, and in exchange he asked to put the video up on his channel. It seemed like a “win win” situation, so I agreed. Devin and I became really good friends, he taught me everything he knew about YouTube, and helped me start my own channel. His subscribers became my first subscribers, and everything snowballed from there.
Do you have any tips or words of wisdom for musicians using social media to build a fan base?
L.S. The number one thing that helped me was collaborating with other musicians. I tried to find talented YouTubers who had the same or slightly higher number of subscribers, and by doing that we helped each other (their subscribers became my fans and vice versa). Each collaboration I did grew my fan base, ultimately making myself more attractive to bigger YouTube artists.
Similarly, you made it to quarter-finals on America’s Got Talent. If you had it to do all over again, would you still participate on the show?
L.S. I wouldn’t take back the experience, no. I learned too much, and it gave me a taste of what live performing was like. Once the show was over for me, I desperately wanted more of that. It ultimately drove me to succeed.
In addition to your original pieces, your violin covers/collaborations are immensely popular. How do you choose what to cover and how does your process differ from composing your original songs?
L.S. A lot of my cover ideas come from my fans. My personal vote counts for at least 60% (I have to like the music myself), but I love the challenge of taking a piece of amazing music and molding it into something totally unique. I usually start by studying the original music (listen to it over and over again), and I always try to study the story behind the composition, especially where “gaming music” is concerned (gamers are VERY particular to detail).
Congrats on the US and Europe tour lineup! You’re playing at some amazing venues. Is there a city or venue you’re particularly excited about performing at this year?
L.S. I always love performing in Paris and Germany because my fans there are so energetic! When I perform for crowds like that they make me feel like I’m on top of the world. It’s so much fun :)
Finally, is there a project or music video you have planned this year that not many people know about yet?
L.S. I have a lot of videos to cover from my new album over the next year and am planning to tour again in 2015. I’m pretty spontaneous, so I’m sure I’ll be doing lots of other fun projects on the fly haha. I’m grateful for what I have been able to do this past year, relishing in the present, and am excited to see what the future brings.
A very special thanks to Lindsey Stirling for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions. Be sure to check out the outstanding array of Lindsey Stirling sheet music available at musicnotes.com right now. In addition to violin arrangements, we also have sheet music for piano (and easy piano), woodwinds and brass instruments!