Canadian violinist Jaron Freeman-Fox is returning to Tasmania with ‘The Opposite of Everything’ ensemble. Jaron was here in January, or as he says last fall, our summer, for the Cygnet Folk Festival.
Jaron loves Tasmania finding familiarity between Tasmania and his own home ‘a really wonderful little island on the west coast of Canada’, like Tassie a relaxed island lifestyle, that is, until the time comes for the ferry to make a trip across to the big island when it’s a little more rushed than relaxed. Tasmania was the first place in Australia Jaron performed and he believes it has ‘The X- Factor’.
Where did Mr. Fox’s fiddle fascination begin? I ask. Jaron says at 4 years old he asked his parents if he might learn to play the violin, he can’t even remember why, except that his family always played music and it was natural even at such a young age. Jaron grew up in a bohemian style family who would caravan around performing.
Perhaps Jaron’s love of the violin is because in his words it is ‘a chameleon’ that permeates so many cultures, is recognised and played anywhere in the world.
Jaron says if he hadn’t been a violinist he would have been a chemist or a circus performer and the similarities to being a violinist are there. Chemistry requires experimentation and so the musician and the violinist must experiment to get the sound they want. The violinist visiting unexplored territory, like the circus performer, shocks and delights with their creativity.
Jaron is keen to bring something new to music and also to give something back like the musicians he admires, Tom Waites and Frank Zappa, both these artists created something new that is now forever in the canon of music. Becoming ‘a point of reference’ for future proponents of his art. Jaron says this will justify his career and what a career it’s been so far, never boring, Jaron’s has juggled three fiddles on stage simultaneously and even had a fiddle stolen by a monkey and returned by said fiddle felon!
Jaron says he feels blessed in his career and anything else that might come along is a bonus.
You can see Jaron and ‘The Opposite of Everything’ in Tasmania at the following dates and venues
April 3 – MONA – Hobart
April 2 – Mountain Mumma – Sheffield
April 1 – Live at the Wharf – Ulverstone
March 31 – Homestead -Hobart
To read more about Jaron visit …
OFFICIAL WEBSITE : http://theoppositeofeverything.com
FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/jaronfreemanfox
Paula Xiberras
