A Papua New Guinean youngster is on her way to being PNG’s very own violinist and hopes her story can inspire the younger generation of PNG to try out new things and discover their hidden potentials. 17-year old Charlene Sahoto who hails from a mixed parentage of Manus, Bougainville and Central province will most likely be going down in history as PNGs first Violinist. A grade 11 student previously at the Busu Secondary school in Lae, Morobe Province will be pursuing her dreams in music and the violin as she was accepted to the Fountainview Academy, a Music School in Lillooet, Canada. There she will be continuing her secondary studies as well as advance her skill as a future violinist. Charlene Started was first introduced to the violin in 2018 when she signed up for a two-week violin lesson with the Eyrie School of Music though a Facebook post here in Port Moresby. Further regular violin lessons in New Zealand from 2020 to June 2021 expanded her knowledge and love for the violin. “When we came back, I started teaching myself by watching tutorial videos on YouTube and that was when I realized that I loved the violin and that I could play it on my own.” She started playing the violin to as a challenge to learn an instrument that only a few people have interest in, and she hopes to be an inspiration to other Papua New Guineans who want to play the violin and other instruments that are both popular and not popular in the country. As most new things to us, some of the challenges she faced as a violin player in PNG is the feeling of non-acceptance of the sound or the sight of a person playing a guitar-like instrument on her shoulder, but this has not stopped her. “I think when I’m playing in public, people have never seen it before, so they don’t really know how to properly appreciate the performance.” Charlene has played in church and for her friends and has recently started warming up to public performances in the country. She recently played a violin rendition of the National Anthem at the Parliament State room for the Amazing Port Moresby 48th Independence Launch in Port Moresby Yesterday for guests. She has also had concerts at the Port Moresby Arts Theatre, the Kokopo Gazelle Hotel and in Lae to raise funds for her tuition fees at the Fountainview Academy in Canada in coming weeks. Her family will continue to raise funds for her tuition and Charlene appeals to anyone who would like to show their support on her journey to get in touch with her mom Carole Cholai on 74231226 for more information. Meanwhile Charlene is also a talented guitar, ukulele and harmonica player with and knows a little bit of piano. She further appealed to other young Papua New Guineas to just do what they love and too not be afraid to try new things. “Just ask Why not?”. “Do what you love. Everything is on YouTube and the internet.” “You don’t necessarily need a teacher to teach you.” “You never know what you can achieve by trying out new things.”