It's safe to assume that we have all seen Titanic, a film by James Cameron. In case you haven't,
the following information contains spoilers: The vessel sinks! Now that, that is out of the way,
the movie has a crucial moment when realization strikes, and a lone violinist starts to play on the
balcony among the commotion. His fellow band mates participate in the melancholic melody once they, too, have accepted the notion that the ocean will serve as their final watery resting
place. Cameron’s camera moves into adjacent rooms as it sweeps above, giving us a bird's-eye
view: We see a final display of affection: an elderly couple embracing each other on their bed, as
the ballroom erupts into pandemonium with parents frantically trying to locate their children;
passengers scurrying about helter-skelter. By this time, the ship is completely swallowed by the
violin's chord before it is consumed by the water. There is a reason the violin was chosen for this
scene, its strings are best likened to the chords of our heartbeat; with delicate melodies conjuring
feelings of love and grief, its musicality unquestionably a thing of eerie ethereal beauty.

 

For the then 13-year-old Deutros Mcnicolls who grew up in a musically gifted family, it was
love at first sight when his parents purchased his younger brother a violin; he was always
tantalized by the instruments’ seductive chords. In the family home, his parents preferred
listening experience was classical music, a genre he loves till this day. Mcnicolls and his four
siblings were never short of musical equipment, the second of five boys he was already
proficient in playing the piano, pan, recorder and other instruments.  So, without hesitation he all but adopted the instrument intended for his brother. His favorite composers being classical symphonists such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Franz Schubert, the bar he had set for himself was already high. "I'm not saying I
am as great as they are or near their skill level, but it's where I aspire to be." A very modest
Mcnicolls admits. Being blessed with the ability to rapidly learn a new instrument, and after
practicing by himself for a year, he later began taking private lessons with Ms. Gunilla Tangkai
in San Fernando, further honing his skills. Always driven, the Penal native, would then enlist
with the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Philharmonic and the Siparia Police Youth Club.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mcnicolls' adoration for his instrument only grows with time. He admits that he may not have
achieved as much success, had it not been for his violin and its calming influence during his
schooling years: "It is like a drug for me; there are so many wrong things you can become
addicted to, and for me this is the best thing; it really helped me when I just needed a
break." Deutros, who earned a degree in public sector management from the University of the
West Indies, is certain that the tranquility his instrument brought into his life adds to his existing
sense of stability. As he grew and excelled in his educational endeavors, his external family and
friends took notice of his musical talent and the mellifluous way he played, soon he started
performing for close friends and family at their weddings, anniversaries and other significant
events. “I love to play contemporary music, but I will play other type of music as long as it
isn’t anything aggressive or violent, there is enough of that already allover” he states,
Mcnicolls, who still sees what he does as a hobby, even though his company, "Cardiac Strings,"
is well known amongst other composers and musicians. Following graduation, Deutros was able
to find work in his field of study, and with his love of the violin flourishing, McNicolls was
content. Nevertheless, the universe had other ideas for him.

 

His violin prowess was primarily a "if you know, you know” type of circumstance in 2018. That
was until Kwesi Valentine, a coworker turned buddy, convinced him to turn his hobby into a full
fledge business. McNicolls will leave his social circle of friends and family and begin playing at
business events. “So, you have all this talent and you just letting it go to waste” a member of
his managerial team would express to him after a work performance. “I created the Facebook
page and shot my first video on a phone camera, so you know how the quality was; my
brother taped it for me; it was Valentine's Day and I had sponsored the post; I was doing
custom videos for $100; I was surprised by the overwhelming response, but the violin is
such a unique instrument, and seeing it was Valentine's Day, everyone, I guess, wanted that
special something". His initial post will serve as the beginning of his mainstream violinist
career, and from that point forward he will be known as "Cardiac Strings". The panorama of
romantic events, such as weddings, anniversaries, birthday parties, and other occasions where
love is celebrated, will soon be dominated by Deutros. He will be asked to give performances for
dignitaries and ministers. He managed to find time to train with the Court Street Chamber
Orchestra last year despite his business being at an all-time high.
At the age of 29, Deutros Mcnicolls has his entire future ahead of him, with endless possibilities,
and being an ambitious individual who is never one to rest on his laurels.

 

The question remains, what next? "My goal is to create a group with other talented musicians, a harp player, pianist, etc., and to create a soundtrack with these talented musicians and singers as well."
He professes, “I would love to hear the violin in more Soca compositions, I believe that, that
will be a great addition to Soca music” Mcnicholls shares. Charitable work is a crucial
indicator of an organization's true motives, in lieu of such, what causes, if any, do Cardiac
Strings support? "I perform at the police youth club when I am asked for any events. I was
also asked and honored to have performed at this year’s International Women's Day. I also
visited orphanages and senior citizen homes. I wanted to perform at the hospital for cancer
patients, but I was told it would have been too loud for some of the patients." He shares.
“But I am at the teething stages of my own nonprofit, I wanna really reach youths and
show them that there is more to live than what they see and there is an entire world out
there’ he elaborates. Although Deutros Mcnicoll has a packed schedule, his business, Cardiac
Strings, positions itself more as a motivational tool than as a means of profit. Given the current
level of crime in our country, his discourse is in sync with a bygone concept of love and peace,
which is sorely needed now. There's no questioning his skill, and as the 29-year-old artist finds
his way forward, we hope to see him soon on an international stage.