Joshua Answers Your Questions!

Joshua Bell: My cousing Michael introduced me to the rock band Genesis when I was about 13 years old, and they became my favorite band. At the time, I found a lot of pop music to be too simple and boring, so I was excited when I heard the varied rhythms and complex harmonies of Genesis. A great example was the song 'Supper's Ready' which was written by Peter Gabriel when he was the lead singer. 'Supper's Ready' is practically a symphony, lasting more than 20 minutes and consisting of several 'movements'. Later, Phil Collins took over as lead singer of Genesis and I still often listen to the 'Trick of the Tail' album which I find thrilling (Phil Collins also does a great rendition of 'Supper's Ready' on the live album 'Seconds Out'.....
Of course I love the Beatles as well...which is why I chose to write a version of 'Eleanor Rigby' with my friend Frankie Moreno for my latest album 'At Home with Friends'.

Joshua Bell: Technique and musicality go hand in hand, and I hate to separate them in my mind. Technique is there to service the music – as one develops musical ideas, one then develops and applies the technique to best help make those ideas come to life. Both technique and artistry are equally important and to say that someone is a 'great artist but has no technique' is in fact silly. I once had a girl come up to me and tell me that she played the violin...she went on to say that her 'musicality' was 'all there', but was just 'behind technique-wise'. I found that amusing. First of all, I'm not too fond of using the word 'musicality' as an entity that is applied when playing an instrument. Real musicianship and artistry require a combination of many complex qualities and knowledge and true musicality does not simply mean having the ability to emote. In my example of the girl who seemed convinced that she was 'all there' on the 'musical' side of things, it was clear that she did not begin to understand the fact the becoming an artist is a never-ending journey.

Joshua Bell: I had several musical idols. I discovered Jascha Heifetz at Meadowmount summer camp when I was 11 years old, and he quickly became my idol (and still is!). Other idols included my teacher Josef Gingold who, in my book, had the most beautiful violin sound ever, and also the Conductor Carlos Kleiber. I never saw Kleiber live, but seeing his video of the Beethoven 4th and 7th symphonies, or his New Years Vienna concert, is witnessing the true art of conducting.