Haylie Ecker

Answer I’d always been a classical purist, but when I was offered the Bond audition I thought it sounded fun and exciting. I thought I’d give it a go – I had nothing to lose. At the audition I started laughing, because the whole situation seemed so unlikely. That’s when I got the job.<br> <br> I joined the group and discovered they needed a viola player. At the time I was living with fellow AYO alumnus Tania Davis. She was a violinist and had never played viola. But randomly, her boyfriend had bought a viola in a market. Tanya was up for the ride, so she practiced the viola for a week, then played for the other girls – and got in.

Answer There are so many! I loved every minute of it. Meeting Pavarotti was a magical experience – he was a very special individual.<br> <br> We played soundtracks for two movies – Johnny English and Triple X State of the Union. It was amazing to see how much work goes into film. On the set of Johnny English we met John Malkovich; he’s a method actor so he stayed in character as a French baddie the whole time.<br> <br> Donald Trump choreographed the entire Miss Universe pageant to our second album <i>Shine</i>. We played on stage for the pageant, then Donald flew us back in his private jet.<br> <br> Fashion Designer Issey Miyake designed a range for us and invited us over for tea at his London showroom. Grace Jones randomly stopped by with her pet dogs; that was a surreal experience…<br> <br> And one night Bruce Willis bought five seats to our LA concert. He sat in the middle of the seats in the front row, with no one on either side of him. Afterwards he took us out for burgers.

Answer I actually had a breakthrough moment before I joined Bond. When you perform you’re so critical of yourself; in a way you always focus on what you’re doing wrong, and judge yourself by your mistakes. One day when I was about to perform a concert, my teacher said: ‘What’s there to be nervous about? They’ve bought a ticket and they’re here to enjoy themselves.’<br> <br> This was reiterated by my time with Bond. Whenever I see fans screaming and dancing, their faces lighting up, I experienced the joy of performance and remembered that music is to be enjoyed.

Answer Dealing with the media takes a lot of time, but it’s an important part of music. Part of a musician’s job is to connect with the audience. I think there can sometimes be a barrier between music and the audience; if you put yourself out there it gives people an entry point into your world and helps make music accessible.

Answer Always think about different ways you can connect with your audience. Everyone has access to the Internet these days, so it’s a powerful space to use. For example, I absolutely love violinist Ray Chen’s comic vlogs; he's so personable, as well as being a brilliant performer. Keep an open mind and think outside the box. Make the most of opportunities, no matter how small or unusual they seem. And always be your authentic self.

Answer They were my formative years. Playing with AYO was my first time for so many things! It was my first time away from home. I had to learn how to travel and work in a group. Although Australia can feel so isolated from the rest of the music world, AYO turned out to be a strong international network; AYO was a massive double door that opened the whole world up for me.

Answer Since Bond I’ve collaborated with artists such as Zucchero and I’ve worked on a few animation series including the BAFTA nominated Snowman and the Snowdog. I often collaborate with the award winning film composer Ilan Eshkeri. I was a presenter for EMI’s Classical Destinations educational DVDs, and I’m Artistic Director for Hong Kong’s PLAY series, a classical concert series for children. But all of that aside I’m now a Mum, so my priority is my beautiful children, Ari and Uma Sky!