After she saw Itzhak Perlman playing the violin on Sesame Street, four-year-old Melissa White pestered her mother nonstop until she got her very own violin.
Now, Melissa is a member of the Harlem String Quartet, a solo artist and an entrepreneur.
With her friend and colleague Elena Urioste, Melissa runs Intermission, an organization that combines the principles of musicianship and yoga.
As she explained, yoga helps her with physical strength, but it also helps her stay grounded during stressful situations ranging from stage fright to a pandemic.
Melissa joined Classical IPR via Zoom from her home in Chicago, where she played some Bach and led listeners in a mindfulness exercise.
Listen to the entire conversation and performance below.
Below is video of Melissa's performance of the first movement of Johann Sebastian Bach's Violin Sonata no. 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKGudoJOv0A&feature=youtu.be
Audio of just the guided breathing exercise is below.
