Not letting this faze him, Frank continued practicing and joined a group called the Three Strings which included two of his childhood friends Khaydon Chapman and Kern Johnson. He participated in the programme for a year before it came to an abrupt halt over monetary issues between the department and the facilitator of the programme. "When I entered the programme there were many instruments available for participants but when I saw the violin, it was like wow, because I had only seen it on television before," said Frank. He said when he plays the violin, it is just like making love–ensuring the moment is fulfilling and everlasting.įrank got his start with the violin at 17, when he enrolled in a course offered by the department of culture in Tobago in the early 2000s. For example, adding staccatos, glissandos, double stops etc, gives life to the music which makes it more creative for the musician and more enjoyable for the audience. He explained this was important, as a musician never plays for himself but for an audience and he must find ways in which he can enhance the sound of an instrument by using of different techniques. "I might get some flak for saying this, but I believe no matter what instrument a musician is playing, the sound should not only be unique and difficult to imitate, but the way you play an instrument should naturally interpret and reflect the way you hear a song, and how well you connect with your audience," Frank said. I am still receiving calls from so many people who attended the event," he said.Īsked what he thought set him apart as a musician, Frank said when it comes to playing the violin he tries to imitate the sound of a saxophone. "I am happy but it's also still so surreal. You never know who is in that crowd.who is looking at you." Frank said. "This was not some backyard jam or an ordinary gig, it was the Tobago Jazz Festival where each event is being attended by thousands of people from all over the islands and internationally as well. Looking back, Frank said he was nervous about performing at the festival because he felt it was a make-or-break moment for his career. He said he never thought that video would give him the opportunity to play at such a high profile musical event. The violinist admitted he was a little unenthusiastic about the whole idea at first, but the guy was so adamant that Frank eventually submitted a video of himself playing Forget about Dre. When I said yes, he told me about the jazz festival and told me about the YouTube submission opened for entertainers and musicians to submit their pieces to get an opportunity to perform at the event this year." explained Frank.
"I was playing at a wedding in Tobago and this guy came up to me after and asked me if I was a Tobagonian. "It was really a blessing how I got this opportunity," he said. With his violin in hand, the Tobago-born musician who now lives in St Augustine, sat down with the T&T Guardian to reflect on the experience which he called the highlight of his career and to talk about how it all started for the boy from Mason Hall with a passion for music. This was also the piece the violinist entered in the Tobago Jazz Experience's online auditions, which enabled locals who wanted to be perform during the Festival to submit short performance videos via YouTube.
The 27-year-old described the hip hop piece as his most challenging to date. On his Cecilio violin, Frank played an eclectic mix of songs, including like Minnie-Riperton's Loving You, John Legend's All of Me, Beyonce's If I were a Boy, Machel Montano's Fog and Forget about Dre, by rappers Dr Dre and Eminem. David Frank received encore after encore at Jazz on the Esplanade in Scarborough, one of the events in the recently-concluded Tobago Jazz Experience.
His eyes never left the crowd as his fingers danced over the strings, drawing the audience closer.
He drew the bow across his violin seamlessly, with quick, intense movements.