I have enjoyed Andrée Thompson's art and friendship for over 15 years and jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with her. This project inspired me for many reasons.

The performance practice of classical music tends to be extremely formalized: musicians wear black evening dress, are dead silent on stage and the audience seems to be a mile away in the darkness. The "serious" atmosphere of the concert hall puts even more pressure on the musician to play perfectly and to live up to all the pomp. This can be counter-productive to the intention and potential of the music to move and inspire the audience and performer alike. This performance piece pokes fun at the image of the classically trained violinist and all the expectations we have of them.

We are also exploring together the parallel nature of clay and live music. The wet clay is constantly transforming in the moment much like a musical performance that despite all the practice in the world, is ultimately spontaneous and ephemeral.

Finally, profound personal transitions in my life over the past 5 years have forced me to reevaluate expectations and have brought me to an awareness that we shed many "skins" during a lifetime. These events can be disturbing at the moment but the potential for beauty and growth through transformation is also a part of the human condition.