
Musicians left to right:
Crystal (violin), Loretta (cello), Rosemary (violin)
Photo Credit: Nathan Fleet
Damon Guyett aka. Naked House- 2021
Once the COVID restrictions lifted I was offered the opportunity to perform for Hamilton’s International Pop Overthrow at the Casbah live on November, 25, 2021. It was my first time performing live in-person since the closing of the venue in late February 2020. I had seen Crystal’s post looking for work in the Hamilton and GTA area and decided to contact her to collaborate for this show. After hearing some samples of her playing I decided to contact her. Without any hesitation, she dove right in and took a chance on me to make my vision as an artist come alive. Her rates were very reasonable for the level of musician she is. I gave her 6 songs to learn by the concert date and her only request was to get sheet music written if possible or a guideline/ leadsheet of my songs for her to follow along. I’ve never written music before but she was so helpful in helping me and directing me through the learning process. Her notes were constructive and very helpful. Not only that, she was very patient with me. During our rehearsals she made me feel very confident as she moved through the charts with so much ease immediately. She was receptive of all my notes, professional and easy going. Our dress rehearsal before the show we ran through all the songs almost perfectly which put my nerves at ease allowing me to relax my nerves and focus on getting excited and pumped for the show. Throughout the entire set, Crystal locked in to each and every musical phrase. Her professionalism, technical abilities as a musician and personality as a human being make her one of my favourite musicians to work with and one of the most rewarding performances of my career. I look forward to collaborating and performing with her continuously in the near future.
Bandleader of Jeff Scott’s Liverpool Sessions
When “The Liverpool Sessions” expanded to take on The Beatles studio works, Crystal was the first to join the ranks. From day one she’s been an invaluable asset, bringing this diverse repertoire to life. From the romantic stylings of “Yesterday” through the orchestral ambitions of “Sgt. Pepper” to the band’s experiments with American-Country and Indian music, Crystal has shown a gifted talent and enthusiastic professionalism.
– Jeff Scott, “The Liverpool Sessions”
Violinist/Conductor/ Colleague
Crystal is a wonderful and talented musician to work with. She is a very versatile musician who performs a variety of genres including jazz, pop, musicals, cultural, and classical music. She plays violin, viola and piano. She is one of the hardest working musicians I know and it is a pleasure to work with her. She puts a lot of work in making sure everyone feels special at their events by helping to organize the music and making sure people are going to enjoy the music selections for their special day. She will write an arrangement of your favorite piece if there isn’t music for it. Not only is she an excellent musician but she is a dedicated teacher. She is able to provide students with musical experience in many different areas, including technique, style, and musicianship. She is an enthusiastic educator and has a positive attitude towards learning and this has played a big part in her leadership role. The students look forward to the knowledge and enthusiasm that Crystal is so willing to share. She has a great ability to communicate information to the children so it is crystal clear.
-Rosemary Hale (violinist/conductor)
Proposal, 2020
Both Crystal and Brendan played a pivotal role in making this a monumental moment in both my Fiancé and I’s life. My fiancé told me that these two have been working hard on perfecting the music for almost a month before he asked me the question- if that isn’t commitment I don’t know what is! When we first started dating, I told my fiancé I would love to be proposed to in front of a large fountain with a string quartet playing in the background. He remembered that for seven years and did exactly that on August 16, 2020. Imagine my absolute surprise and uncontainable excitement when I walked down a candle lit pathway to find Crystal and Brendan playing our song in the background. It was absolutely beautiful and moved me to tears. I am horrible at reacting to things right away, and truth be told I am still surprised that my fiancé was able to find two wonderful artists outside of the Tamil community able to play a Tamil song. Every time I hear their version of the song, I am transported back to the moment he asked me to marry him and all the excitement and nervousness I felt. We slow danced our first dance as an engaged couple to their music and I wouldn’t trade that moment for the world. I cannot recommend these two enough- they even almost braved the rain for us that day. We are forever thankful to these two for such a wonderful memory that we will forever cherish.
– Ann & Shoban
Toronto Wedding, 2018
Crystal did a fantastic job playing during the cocktail hour at my wedding. She went above and beyond practising both English and Arabic songs that I requested of her to play. Both were played beautifully at the wedding and sounded absolutely amazing. Everyone truly enjoyed listening to her play. She is extremely talented was absolutely worth every penny. I would highly recommend her!
– Sandra & Kirk
Toronto Wedding, 2018
We had a wonderful experience with Crystal as our wedding musician. Crystal showed up on time looking elegant and set up her working area in advance. She skillfully played the music we requested which included both contemporary covers and more classical pieces. When encountering challenging circumstances from our venue which required her to relocate to an inconvenient spot, Crystal made no fuss and remained professional and continued to play beautifully. We wanted two musicians and Crystal was able to bring along an equally talented cellist. We would wholeheartedly recommend Crystal’s services for any occasion that requires a talented and refined musician.
– Pauline & Stas
Musical Director of the former Hammer Entertainment Hamilton, 2018
Crystal is a highly talented violinist, both in a live setting, and as a teacher. She is extremely professional, hard-working, and reliable. I have had the privilege of working with her in musical theatre. When she was called in to cover for a player who had injured himself a week before a show, Crystal was quick to learn the entire score and performed flawlessly, fitting into the orchestra as though she’d been there from the beginning. Anyone looking for a talented, bright, outgoing person for their group or as their teacher should look no further than Crystal.
– Steve M.