This is the way I feel when I think about my violin!
...but it hasn't always been that way.
My relationship with my instrument has not always been so willing. From wanting to quit in elementary school because my best friends stopped playing, to enduring numerous playing-related injuries as an adult, I have encountered dozens (and dozens) of frustrated moments thinking, "What's the point of this?" To my younger self, (and to my "self" now) my favorite response to this internal struggle is a quote by Alan Watts, taken from a lecture where he contemplates gamification and play...
"Life is like music for its own sake. We are living in an eternal now, and when we listen to music we are not listening to the past, we are not listening to the future, we are listening to an expanded present."
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Starting an instrument young
is like being given a
precious stone...
You are told to hold on to it at all costs. Give it attention and give it love often, and hold it close to your heart. Turn to it whenever you need motivation. Let it provide comfort in moments
where you might feel discouraged.
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Years of dedication and practice serve as the faceting process, and only at the latter end of your musical journey do you realize that you had a unique and more-than-valuable gem all along.
Pictured - myself and my 2 year old rugrat, Leadros
This is a snapshot from 10 years ago with one of the many important people who have mentored me along the way,
my undergraduate violin professor, Ms. Leanne Kelso.
In this moment in time, I thought I would be my own teacher
once I got my degree.
I was very wrong.
Every year I am more humbled by the colleagues/ teachers I meet. There are so many different flavors of playing the violin and they can all coexist and compliment one another. Lately, I have dove deep into learning improvisation, playing in modes, and Irish fiddling. A perspective I have become very passionate about is that... playing the violin is not a one-size fits all; it is a rather personalized experience.