I'm a farmer with a mandolin and a high tenor voice.
Give me a mandolin and I'll play you rock 'n' roll.
At the age of nine, playing the violin at school, and then onto the mandolin.
My dad also plays a little banjo and guitar, my mom plays the mandolin.
I use both instruments with their strengths in mind. Mandolin - no sustain and attack of the right hand, for rhythm. Fiddle - use sustain of the bow and the ability to slide the non-fretted notes, like singing.
When Jack White called and wanted me to do a video and play mandolin with The Raconteurs, I didn't know anything about The Raconteurs at that time.
I also play fiddle, banjo and mandolin.