Q&A Time with Rebecca Laird!

Hello! It's time for our first Q&A session here at the HCM blog. We're starting it off with the co-founder and violinist of Hill Chamber Music, Rebecca Laird. We met while teaching with an Inner-City Outreach Program and decided to form Hill Chamber Music shortly after. It's been so much fun working together, and becoming close friends while traveling and playing all over Maryland every weekend.

And now....lets get to know Becky a little better!

Q: What inspired you to become a musician?

A: When I was about three, I saw Itzhak Perlman on Seasame Street and ran into the kitchen to where my mom was...I remember she was making Rice Krispie Treats. I dragged her into the TV room and pointed to Perlman saying that "I wanted to make sounds like that." My parents made me wait until I was almost 5 to start playing. My mom still has my first violin, a 1/16 size!

Q. What brought you to Baltimore, and what made you decide to stay here?

I actually used to travel every Saturday as a little girl from Western Maryland to Baltimore for my violin lessons. Those drives with my mom were so long! She used to make me sing folk songs in the car!!! I eventually ended up moving here to do a Masters at Peabody, then stayed for a Graduate Performance Diploma, then another Masters, then got marrried, bought a house and got the dog! I never expected to be here so long, but now I love it!

Q. What is the best part about playing for weddings?

A.Weddings are full of happy people. You get to be a part of one of the happiest day of peoples lives...how could you not love doing that!

Q. What is your favorite moment from an HCM gig?

That would have to be playing Musetta's Waltz for the father daughter dance, we hit the climax of the piece right as the dad threw in an unexpected twirl and the audience went crazy. It was so moving!

Q: What do you do with yourself when you aren't playing your instrument?

A: I get pulled down the street by my 80 pound puppy!

Q: What is the best part about living in Baltimore?

A: I love being a Federal Hill resident. I love stopping in at all the little cute boutiques, talking to the dog owners on the hill, and sitting outside with a glass of wine at Metropolitan! It has such a small community feel, I don't feel like I am living in a big city at all, yet I get to enjoy all the luxuries and excitment of city life.

Q: What is the greatest thing about being a musician?

A: Instant entertainment! Whenever I get bored, I whip out my violin to learn a new piece or replay an old favorite.

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to a bride, what would it be?

A: To listen to a ton of music before selecting your wedding music. There are so many amazing pieces out there.

Q: Do you have a favorite wedding?

A: My own of course!!!!