As the winds howled on the west coast of Scotland, Arianna Ranieri nervously ate a sandwich. She was aboard a ferry en route from the seaside town of Largs to the island of Cumbrae. Waves crashed around her and salt water sprayed over her car.
‘It was so windy the boat was literally swaying from side to side, I could feel it in my stomach,’ she recalls. I was thinking “oh my god”, but just ate my sandwich and kept telling myself everything would be fine.’
Arianna, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, was determined to make it to Cumbrae. For it was there that the PhD student had launched a pioneering project to bring free music lessons to the island.
Each Saturday, Arianna would drive her Honda Jazz from Glasgow to Largs, board a ferry and sail to Cumbrae to teach 20 complete strangers how to play the violin.
‘The idea came after I went on tour with an ensemble called Women in Chamber Music in Rural Scotland,’ the professional violist tells Metro over Zoom. ‘We would talk to the audience after our concerts and they would say things like, “oh, I wish I could have learned an instrument” or “the nearest tutor is two hours away”. It became clear that music wasn’t really accessible to everyone.’
So, Arianna got to work. She wanted to create a project which would go directly into rural communities and, supervised by Professor Zack Moir, Bryden Stillie and Dr. Elsa Bouet, she began her PhD research project at Edinburgh Napier University.
While heavily pregnant in 2023, Arianna travelled to Millport, the only town on Cumbrae, and hiked across the island ‘with a stomach the size of a bowling ball’ to ask people about their relationship with music.
‘I did my homework and picked Millport after I found out they had a well established community choir and Alastair Chisholm MBE [a respected music director and organist on the island] was really keen to see the island’s connection with music grow,’ she explains.
Luckily on that gusty day, Arianna and her trusty Honda Jazz made it safely to Cumbrae.
With a population of around 1,400 people, the island is also home to wild sandy beaches, the smallest cathedral in Britain and one of the narrowest houses in the world. While not as famous as the likes of the Isle of Skye or Orkney, Cumbrae, also known as Great Cumbrae, is the most accessible island in the country and just a ten-minute ferry ride from the mainland.
Sandra McIntyre grew up on the island and returned six years ago to retire. She’s always loved music and shares a love for Scottish bands such as Runrig and Skerryvore with her husband Fraser. But Sandra had never got the chance to learn an instrument.
As a child, she was kept busy at her family’s farm and as an adult, a London-based career in banking had left little time for hobbies. It was only when she spotted a poster for Arianna’s violin project in a candle shop on Cumbrae that Sandra, 61, realised she had a second chance.
‘I think I got one of the last places,’ she tells Metro. ‘When this opportunity arose, I know I just jumped at it. It was like pennies from heaven, it was such a joy to be able to try something that I wanted to do but never had the time for. I felt like a kid in a candy store.
‘I don’t think Arianna was expecting it would have such a full uptake as it had been, but people were really keen to grab the nettle with both hands.’
It was a similar story for Karin Douglas, a reflexologist originally from Rutherglen near Glasgow. She had grown up fighting her siblings over the record player and listening to her grandmother ‘batter away’ at the piano at family parties. But apart from a brief spell learning Beatles songs on a second-hand guitar, she never kept up with music.
Karin, 62, tells Metro: ‘I always loved fiddle music and wished I could play violin, so when I saw there were free tuition sessions on Cumbrae I thought it was too good to be true. I’m not much of a joiner of things, so I thought it would be a good way to push myself a wee bit too and get to know more people.
‘I was a bit nervous about it beforehand, as I’m quite a shy person, and it’s always a bit daunting starting to learn something new as an adult. But I felt really comfortable from day one. It’s informal, and a good laugh, but we’ve learned so much – almost without realising it.’
Sandra, Karin and the 18 others in their group, the oldest 75, were provided with violins thanks to Ronan Watson and the North Ayrshire Instrumental Music Services and met with Arianna every Saturday.
They had just 12 weeks ahead of a big concert pencilled in for December 14 in front of their friends and family. Had they left it too late, some initially worried. What if they sounded terrible? Would the audience be disappointed?
Arianna was desperate to dispel any fears, as the 29-year-old knows first-hand what it’s like to have your confidence crushed.
‘I’ve had teachers in the past who told me I would never make it, that I should quit, that I was bottom of the barrel,’ she recalls. ‘I used to bring an extra set of clothes to change into after lessons as I was cold sweating all the way through. But I’ve also had teachers who knew what I needed and empowered me. A teacher has such an influence on a pupil, what you say does not go in one ear and out the other, it stays there for life.
‘I remember the first lesson on Cumbrae, I could sense the fear and a little bit of shyness. I knew right then I needed to be incredibly encouraging from the outset. After we played a bit, I saw those faces of anxiety transform into smiles. After the first day I got emails saying “I’ve not had that much fun in a long time” and “I smiled so much my face hurt”.’
Sandra describes Arianna as ‘unbelievably enthusiastic’ while Karin adds she has ‘made learning easy’. Other participants have compared the music sessions to therapy.
As December 14 and their big performance loomed, the group’s confidence grew immeasurably. Sandra and Karin’s friends and family eagerly asked them about the concert, students at Largs Academy on the mainland signed up to attend and when Arianna popped out for a Cumbrae pastry, the local butcher promised he would be there.
The concert itself was deemed ‘extraordinary’, with a queue of people snaking around the Cathedral before doors opened. People stood at the back of the hall when seats ran out. Arianna’s group played, among others, ‘Hoedown’ by Stanley Fletcher, ‘The Skye Boat Song’, and the gentle ‘Lullaby’ by Franz Schubert, as well as several Christmas songs.
‘It was an ethereal experience,’ Arianna says proudly. ‘Since the cathedral is so small, it felt as though you were immersed directly in the music, like surround sound. It was magical, and the audience was very enthusiastic, and beaming with pride. Some were tapping their feet and humming along.
‘We finished off the concert with the ‘Parting Glass’, a traditional Scottish tune I arranged for the project, which is the perfect send-off. It was met with thunderous applause, and the performers were overcome with emotion, as was I. It was one of the highlights of my entire musical career.’
Arianna will return to Cumbrae for ‘CIMSRS Encore Workshops’ once a month, to build on the momentum created. The next chapter of her PhD will come in Auchtermuchty this January, followed by Glencoe in the summer. But her presence will always remain on Cumbrae. There, a selection of her participants formed a group called ‘The Bothy Bowers’ and went on to perform with the Sonoro Cumbrae Choir at a Christmas concert. Karin and Sandra continue to play at home and look forward to future group performances. They’re thankful for the music Arianna has brought into their lives and the joy it’s given.
Scotland’s islands are no stranger to Hollywood moments – Whisky Galore was inspired by a real-life incident on the island of Eriskay, while The Outrun, which starred Saoirse Ronan, had the beautiful backdrop of Orkney. So could the story of the violins on Cumbrae ever inspire a film?
Arianna laughs at the prospect but smiles, admitting: ‘When I reflect about it, it really has had a much bigger impact than I ever thought it would. My research question was “what is the impact of providing accessible music tuition for adults in rural scotland?” But it’s become so much more than that.
‘A lot of participants said they felt the retired age group, especially in rural areas, can be forgotten. So something like this can be a lifeline for some people.
‘Music really does bring people together, and I’ve seen so many friendships grow and form. Even in the coffee breaks before the concert, seeing them all laugh together, take photos, tell jokes, introduce their families – when only 12 weeks ago many of them were perfect strangers.’
Follow Arianna’s PhD study on social media here
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