If you play a string instrument, I am sure you have heard of Lindsey Stirling. With her having millions of views on Youtube, I would not be surprised if anyone has heard of her.
If you do not know who she is, watch the following video and see how much of an incredible performer she is.
As you can see, Stirling is a dancer and violin master who mixes her string music with electronic music, such as the kind of sound Dubstep would produce. In fact, she has even covered some of Dubstep's songs!
I am a relatively recent fan of hers after a brief hiatus where I was not into her kind of music. I found it repetitive and could not find much entertainment value in it. Yet, years later I watched and listened again to find more to her and her music than I had originally noticed. When I listen and watch now, I can see and hear her heart being poured into the moment, whether she is dancing, playing or both.
The biggest reason why I respect her first came when I saw the video above, "Master of Tides." I knew she could dance and play the violin at the same time, but the live performance adds an extra layer of magic to it. It is possible that the violin playing is just a recording during the performance...but I cannot believe that. The only reason I believe someone would consider that is because I cannot imagine PLAYING THE VIOLIN and DANCING THAT CHOREOGRAPHY at the same time. What a feat.
Another thing I love about her is that when she collaborates with other performers she seems to make them the center of the show. Many collaborations I have seen in pop music nowadays is one artist performing most of the song and a featured artist who does not seem to add much to the song (of course there are exceptions). Yet with Stirling, she will bring in a vocalist - such as Peter Hollens, Lzzy Hale, and John Legend - and not only work with them but also let them take the spotlight. She is there as a strong layer of support adding a creative twist to the song. This makes me respect her more than ever.
If I could see her live, it would be a dream come true. Not only is she an original kind of performer, she seems like such a genuine person. After a few of her music videos, every so often she will pop up on screen to send a shoutout to the musician(s) who worked with her on that particular song, thank a sponsor if there was one (M&M's helped on one of her videos!), and acknowledge the viewer for supporting her in all that she does.
If she ever reads this article, I hope she knows that I respect and support her fully because of her superior talent and all around charming personality. Truly, she is one of my idols.