But I still think it's mind over matter in the sense that if you're strong, you can combat anything.

Beethoven and Beatles, Mozart and Michael Jackson, Paganini and Prince - I like them all.

Violin playing is a physical art with great traditions behind it.

In winter I go skiing on Saturdays and Sundays when the slopes are quieter due to changeover day for tourists, and in summer I hike up into the mountains at sunset, just as the village is settling down to dinner.

To even get to the Olympics, I have to qualify for the 2013 World Championships and the standard is high. I know I am always going to be a few points behind the top guys.

Kids can be born with potential but unless it's encouraged - pushed, even - I don't think it will ever come to fruition.

When I hit my 20s, I took a chill pill and relaxed because throughout my teens I was churning out an album a year. It was a treadmill of work then recording, promoting and touring.