This Arizona Musician’s Disastrous Loss Led to a Transformative Breakthrough

"You're Not Good Enough": Harsh Words That Launched a Career

“You’re not untalented, but you’re not good enough, I don’t think, to get away with flying through the air and trying to play the violin at the same time.” -Piers Morgan, America's Got Talent

The words spoken by America's Got Talent celebrity judge Piers Morgan echoed as the blood rushed in the young musician's ears. Clinging to her violin, the crestfallen Lindsey Stirling listened to the harsh words, biting back tears. She had pinned all her hopes on this one moment, and now her dreams had been crushed like brittle rose petals under her feet.

In spite of the bitterness, some moments make you. For dancer and violinist Lindsey Stirling, this was the one. Before going home, she cried her eyes out. She used the criticism as motivation to prove Morgan wrong.

Lindsey Stirling: Growing Up in Arizona

Lindsey Stirling was born on September 21, 1986, and began playing the violin at the age of five. Growing up in Gilbert, Arizona, Lindsey joined a rock band called Stomp on Melvin and participated in a variety of competitions. In college, she studied filmmaking and musical performance.

Stirling's 2010 America's Got Talent audition impressed the judges. Her innovative violin and dance act caught their attention. However, she was eliminated in the quarter-finals, after being told by Piers Morgan that her style was not good enough to fill a theater.

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Thankfully, Morgan could not have been more wrong. Not only does she fill theaters worldwide, but she's also become an inspiration to budding musicians and dancers everywhere.

She puts on incredible, high-energy shows suitable for the whole family. Young violin players often bring their rigs to shows.

Lindsey Stirling: The Violinist Who Dances to Her Own Beat

By her own admission, Lindsey Stirling was always a little different. The talented violinist's musical style combines classical, pop, rock, and electronic dance music with choreographed dance moves. Stirling is not only a talented musician, but also a songwriter, dancer, and YouTube sensation.

Stirling did not give up on her dream. She wrote, filmed, and produced many of her early music videos, creating a growing YouTube channel, quickly proving she didn't need the stamp of approval from legacy media to launch her career.

Stirling's YouTube channel currently has over 14 million subscribers and more than 3 billion views.

Lindsey Stirling: Artist and Author

Stirling is not only a successful musical artist, she's also a philanthropist, and in 2016 she penned an autobiography titled, The Only Pirate at the Party, where she outlines her unconventional journey to stardom. "It's okay to be different", she says.

In true Arizona spirit, Lindsey Stirling is a remarkable and independent example of someone who follows her passion to carve out a unique niche. According to Wikipedia, in 2017, Stirling competed in season 25 of Dancing with the Stars. Paired with professional dancer Mark Ballas, despite two serious injuries, the pair took second place.

Stirling's brand-new video, Eye of the Untold Her is a wonderful overview of her career. It touches back through her music videos, stage performances, and that fateful moment that launched a thousand dreams. Proving Lindsey Stirling does in fact, Have Talent.