Uncovering the Violinist's Struggle and Triumph
Impact on Professional Performance
Kennedy, renowned as the bestselling classical violinist of all time, had always broken records with his Vivaldi's Four Seasons recording. He overcame numerous barriers, especially with the younger generation, through his diverse performances ranging from classical to jazz and rock. However, after this hearing loss, he had to face the possibility of never being able to perform professionally again. He emphasized, "I didn't want to play with colleagues while I was playing out of tune." Although he couldn't be certain that the Covid jab was the sole cause, he knew of another musician who had faced a similar loss of hearing.This hearing loss was not just about the volume but more about the overtones and intonation. It was a significant challenge that required sheer perseverance. He trained himself to hear the overtones and undertones of notes again. Through this process, he was able to work on his intonation and regain his hearing. He said, "I was able to work on my intonation and get my hearing back. Maybe if I wasn't a musician, I wouldn't really have got the hearing back because, in music, you're teaching yourself to listen all the time."
Personal Struggles and Coping
Kennedy also experienced extreme fatigue during this time. He described himself as turning into a zombie, nodding off wherever he was. He would wake up with a sense of relief, thinking, "thank God I haven't dropped the violin" if he had it in his hand. This was something that had never happened to him before.With time and determination, he rebuilt his hearing from the ground upwards. Now, he believes his intonation is even better than before. He shared, "I built it from the ground upwards again, but I think now I've got a better intonation than I had before... If you're faced by a dilemma like that, you can't really panic about it because all you can do is the best to overcome the problem."
Revealing the Hesitation
When asked about his reluctance to discuss the hearing loss until now, he explained, "I wanted to make sure that I really was playing in tune before I came out with it... It was a sensitive issue and I didn't want everyone coming to my concert thinking '[he's] playing out of tune'." But now, he doesn't mind people knowing as he is playing right in the middle of the notes and his intonation is much better.He added that there might be other musicians who suffered from the same thing. This is not just a musician's issue; it could happen to anyone. If one suddenly feels catatonic at a certain time every day, it could be a common experience.
Upcoming Musical Collaboration
Before his "Concert for peace, acceptance and forgiveness" with the vocalist and composer Cleveland Watkiss and others on 29 January at the Barbican in London, he spoke about the theme of the concert. It is a response to "all the negative stories that one sees everywhere" and his disappointment with people only looking after their narrow demographics even when they try to take positive action. He emphasized that musicians think differently and this musical performance is a collaboration among all of them."If there's a problem, we need to solve it as human beings together, not as a tiny split-definition of what our species is. We're all the same people." This sentiment runs through his musical journey and his upcoming concert.