This is Daphne

Name: Daphne Chen

Age: 31

Location: Los Angeles, California

Hometown: Bedford, Texas

Occupation: Violinist, string arranger, studio musician, and member of The Section Quartet

Tied To Form

I can't remember not playing. When I was a kid my mom drove me four hours from Dallas to Houston every Saturday for a two-hour lesson. For orchestra performances I had the big pouffy dresses. I told a friend in high school, "I can't be in a band, I'm a violin player."

Breaking Strings

I went to USC to learn the rules; at CalArts, I learned how to break them. I joined The Section Quartet five years ago. I draw from my experience-the textures of classical, the weirdness of avant-garde music-and apply it to these more accessible songs. I've always wanted to arrange [David Bowie's] "Space Oddity."

And Those Are Her Things

 

1. Concert violin:

 

2. Retired ashtray and adjacent gum replacement:

 

3. French and electrified German violins:

 

4. Corset:

 

5. Sun painting:

 

6. Photograph with Linda Martinez:

 

7. Feather headpiece:

 

8. Theremin:

 

9. First violin: