This much I know: Julian Lloyd Webber

I only took up cello because my mother failed at teaching me the piano, so, I asked to play a different instrument.

I grew up in a chaotic, bohemian household, almost anything went. But there was an unspoken truth that you had to be good at what you did.

My father was a musician and my mother taught piano to young children. Growing up in such a musical family was always a huge advantage. My brother [Andrew] was already writing and playing by the time I was four or five — but there was no pressure on me to follow a musical career.

I admire people who try to develop what talent they have got to the best of their ability. Not everybody does that.

I can’t stress how important music is for young people. It can change lives in positive ways, ways that go far beyond the music itself. I’m involved with ‘In Harmony’, a project which gives children from poor backgrounds an instrument, the necessary tuition to play it and the opportunity to work together in an orchestra setting. After only four years, the project has already had a massive effect.

I was the first official busker for London Underground. Back in 2001 they changed the rules and, rather than moving buskers on as they used to, they started to encourage musicians to play down there. I kicked off that campaign.

The cello spoke to me from the very beginning. It’s a very natural instrument and I liked the fact that you can see exactly how the sound is made. The more I practised, the more I loved it. Then I was taken to hear the fantastic Rostropovich play in London and that’s when I decided I wanted to be a soloist.

I’m not sure that I was ever consciously ambitious. It was more that, having decided that I wanted to be a soloist, I knew I was going to have to work really hard to get where I wanted to be. I gave up school work when I was around 13, which made all my teachers furious, because I wanted to win a scholarship to The Royal College of Music. And I did.

I suffered from nerves at first, as most students do. But I believe that if you want to do something badly enough you will find a way of dealing with such things.

My advice to aspiring musicians is to take every possible opportunity to play in public that comes your way, even if it is in someone’s sitting room.

One performance that stands out is when I was invited to play during the changeover of Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule. I played Elgar. I knew it was going to be a special occasion but I was not ready for the depth of emotion in the hall.

I’m more of a lark than an owl. I don’t like lying in bed all morning.

I am an avid Leyton Orient fan. We’re a League One team. I’ve been a supporter since I was 11 so there isn’t really anything I can do to change that.

If I could change one thing in our society, my wish would be that individual countries would not meddle in other people’s business.

Every day is a challenge, really — a new challenge. In a profession like mine, there have been many ups and downs over the years. And then there are the emotional challenges of life in general. I’ve been married before, and I now have an 18-month daughter with my wife. Having less sleep is definitely a challenge.

I enjoy all types of music. I’m a big fan of old school rock’n’rollers like Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison.

So far life has taught me to take every day as it comes and to be grateful for everything.

* Travels With My Cello: An Evening with Julian Lloyd Webber begins at the Cork Opera House on Thursday, Jan 31 and continues to the Civic Theatre, Tallaght, Friday Feb 1; Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, Saturday Feb 2; Dunamaise Arts Centre, Portlaoise, Sunday Feb 3; Birr Theatre, Offaly, Tuesday Feb 5 and Siamsa Tíre, Tralee, Wednesday Feb 6.