I’ve fallen under the influence of Nicola, a star, not a celebrity

We live in a baffling world where even your average Joe has to be the star of their own show on Instagram or Tiktok and “influencers” can command thousands of pounds for spouting off about beauty products. But Nicola Benedetti is a rare diamond, a star with undeniable talent who has no interest whatsoever in celebrity.

Her extraordinary gift for music has earned her more accolades than you can shake a bow at and she has played to audiences around the world. If you’re not familiar, Google her mesmerising performance of The Lark Ascending from last year’s Last Night Of The Proms, and you’ll have some idea of her otherworldly presence on stage.

If anyone has earned boasting rights it’s her, but any attempt to heap praise on the solo violinist during our interview (on pages 6&7) is batted away with the reply that she can always do better.and it’s clear she feels a genuine responsibility to help other budding musicians to reach their potential through her Benedetti Foundation.

I sometimes worry what will become of my son’s generation, whose role models are now Youtubers whose sole talent appears to be playing Minecraft, while delivering an incessant running commentary (if you have kids or grandkids you’ll likely know what I’m talking about).

I’d much rather he learned from someone like Nicola’s example that even if you have talent, you also have to work hard to achieve your best. Even if music isn’t their calling, that’s the kind of life lesson our children need.