By Jeremy Stinson // Contributing Writer | Photos courtesy of Linda Gale
“Some people have bicycles, I have roller-skates.”
If it is a hot, sunny day on campus, you can typically find Linda Gale playing the violin on her roller skates in front of the James E. Walker Library or the Saunders Fine Arts Building.
A junior at MTSU, Gale, 27, is working towards a double major in instrumental performance and philosophy with a minor in Spanish. Her love for playing the violin on the street and a friendly conversation is what led her to MTSU.
“I was out street performing in Nashville and Dr. David Loucky, an MTSU professor, saw me playing on the street and asked if I went to school,” she said. “After telling him no, he got me in contact with MTSU for auditions and I was enrolled by the next month.”
This was the big push into persuading Gale back into an educational setting.
“Before that, I was leaning heavily on the side of seeing where life takes me,” she said. “This was a really big change because I had a different direction.”
Gale says she learned to appreciate music at a young age. Growing up, she learned how to play the violin and flute, which she credits to her parents. It would be soon after that she was making good use of the various violin rental services available to her, until she finally decided on purchasing her own and pursuing her love for the violin more. She also garnered a passion for singing. Her parents would take her to see old-time jams; folk music that reflects the cultures that settled in North America. She began to roller-skate at her first job at Sonic when she was 16, and after a while, she began to play the violin while roller-skating.
“Who knows what my motivation was for combining the two,” she said. “Playing violin on the street was financially motivating, but combining the two made people happy.”
Before enrolling at MTSU, she had been busking (playing on the street for donations). She got a van and started a journey that led her to Los Angeles. During this time she made money performing the streets with a blues singer. A film crew made a documentary called D. on Darox & Linda the Fox on their experience busking in Los Angeles.
After that, she traveled to San Diego, California, and joined a Latin band, motivating her to learn Spanish. She then traveled to South America and performed around Colombia for several months.
According to Gale, she has no immediate plans after graduation.
“I would love to travel the world and play on the street like I was doing before,” she said. “That would make me really happy. I want to travel and feel urged to do it, but I want to do something important with my life. If I find something more important than traveling the world, I will do it. I am set on helping, set on the common good.”
Apart from music, Gale is interested in becoming a college professor later down the road. Her interest in philosophy and Taoism has sparked an interest in writing poetry, which is something she is currently pursuing.
“I want to do something that really touches people,” she said.
Watch D. on Darox & Linda the Fox, and keep an eye out for Gale performing on campus.
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