I'm in London UK.. Planet Earth..and happy to be a part of this great sharing opportunity.  I genuinely asked my husband for an electric violin for my next birthday in January 2012 by pure coincidence.  Why so early the request you say? To give him time to save up.  My birthday always falls a week after Christmas and the New Year and for this reason is notorious for being the most under-celebrated birthday of the year, but that's not to say that I'm not loved and adored by my family.

I agree that everyone here is most deserving and I love what Fiddleman said about wishing he could give each of us a prize, but we all know that the prize is in the taking part, and that the winner whomever she or he might be is going to have won fair and square.  I will definitely be reliving the joys of violin playing here when I do eventually get my hands on a new violin regardless of the outcome.  This web site really rocks!  Has anyone heard of Eliza Carthy or Peter Knight from the Irish and English folk circles?

I do love the way they play with such passion and vigor.  If you've not heard of them and you like violin you should check them out..

awesome!

You are a very generous teacher.  Do you have access to notation for violin for 'Tyrolean Cradle Song'?.  It's one of my favourites..

I don't know if I qualify as a regular user as I've not long joined the forum but I'd be more than happy to cast my vote.

Let me know if I'm eligible

I've been playing the violin since 5th grade, it was my first instrument I am now 18 and have expanded my musical knowledge to the trumpet, a little bit of drums, and have taught myself to play piano. Music is my life, and I love it. Out of all these instruments, I only have owned the piano, trumpet and violin, but now I only own the electric piano/keyboard. Recently, i have moved to California from Washington State and have had to leave my instruments. My mom, who still lives Washington, has become terminally ill since then (main reason we had to move with my dad) , and has had to get rid of many things for some money, including my instruments and my beloved bicycles (cycling is another hobby of mine ). She did this with my knowing. I graduated high school this year, and I am planning on attending college and furthering my musical experiences, but it is quite hard to do so considering i don't have a violin which is my main instrument. Extra money is also quite hard to come by because we are trying to help support my mom along with the 6 of us in California. Winning a violin would be AMAZING and the biggest stroke of luck I've had in a looong time. Well, i hope that i can obtain a violin through this raffle, and I would like to wish everyone else good luck. I truly believe that we all deserve to win this contest 

thanks Fiddlerman for this awesome opportunity

Because I really, really need the silent violin to get more practice in.  I don't want to have to wait until the house is empty to practice.  I don't want to have to put the dogs outside when I practice either.  My male dog, his name is 7, he just LOVES to sing and howl along with me, but it does nothing for my confidence!  haha  He actually even howls on pitch, but I can't hear myself when he is howling and it is hard to keep going when I am laughing at him.   I play praise and worship on violin in churches and concerts and I really need to practice more, but it is just not always convenient.  If I had the silent violin, I could practice anywhere, at home, in the hotel room or hotel lobby, in the car (not while driving of course, lol).  Instantly, anywhere could become my private practice studio.  Oh, wouldn't that be great!  And I do it all for His glory, the glory of the Lord, which is the reason I live, breathe, and play music.