Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers was originally from California where she started her studies.
In high school she was a student of Dorothy DeLay at Julliard, but for about six months the thirteen year old was in Bloomington, Indiana.
"I was looking to improve and I had the opportunity to play for Joseph Gingold."
"He invited me to come to Bloomington and I did with my mother and sister."
"I still have very fond memories of my work with him and what a wonderful teacher and kind man he was."
When Meyers was planning her latest CD she wanted to make a set of recordings with plenty of varied appeals.
When George Walker talked with her about it she said that it almost got out of hand, "Yes it was always me, but sometimes I did feel a little schizoid."
""Smile," the title of the album comes from a piece by the film maker and comedian Charlie Chaplin. I've got a lovely arrangement by Claus Ogerman, "Meyers said.
"Then there's a lovely piece with some real depth, "Mirror in Mirror," by Arvo Part. These days it's hard to escape the tango fervor and I jumped right in with a couple of pieces by Astor Piazzolla."
"There's just one piece by a sort of regular recital favorite, but it sort of anchors the album. It's an extended work, Schubert's Fantasy in C, Op. 159"
"Then it's off to exotics with two pieces from Japan. One that I'm especially taken with is Sea in Spring, "Haru No Umi," by Michio Miyagi."
"For that one we've taped down the strings on the piano so that it sounds a bit like a koto and my violin tries to evoke the sounds of a traditional bamboo flute."
"The finale is quite special. It's Harold Arlen's "Somewhere over the Rainbow" with some great jazz chords for the piano by Makoto Ozone. Whenever I hear it, I'm always moved by its sadness and hope."