My parents gave me the gift of growing up immersed in the world of music. I was always mesmerised by it, and most of my earliest memories involve music in one way or another. I wish every child on the planet could say that. My parents are both musicians and met playing in orchestras together. My most precious memories are being able to hear Dad play a Mahler symphony with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, being a travel companion to Mum on her string quartet tours for Musica Viva, and playing Pleyel trios with my grandmother and brother.

We weren’t tactically put onto instruments to make a beautiful combination like a family sting trio or a brass quintet. My two brothers and I all chose instruments we loved and wanted to play. Along with my parents, it made for a thrilling combination of violin, trombone, viola, trumpet and cello. I admit, it wasn’t the most homogenous combination, and it later got even more bizarre when I found the viola and my brother swapped from cello to double bass. That left us with two violas, a trumpet, trombone and a double bass!

Stefanie Farrands