DALE

A close friend told me that her mother regularly practices viola for hours on end in front of a large television blaring the latest football game. I was immediately intrigued by the unlikely counterpoint in this evocative image: classical, orchestral discipline, and aggressive team sport.

Fascinated by intimate character studies, I felt compelled to capture this image at Dale Hikawa’s home. While filming, I was struck by her humility and apparent discomfort at performing for the camera. This, coming from the principal violist of the LA Phil? However, with a tender approach and the vulnerability that the camera commands, I gained Hikawa’s trust. And what unfolded documents her real-time reflection on a remarkable, and at times trying, career.

As my own artistic path began as a musician, playing the French horn, creating this portrait of Hikawa has allowed me to better understand the drive that underpins my own creative pursuit.
Drawing from Hikawa’s insights as an impassioned musician, I hope this film encourages viewers to reflect on the meaning in their own lives.