In 4th grade I decided to try something new. I wanted to plan an instrument. But what to play. I went through the goldilocks stages of picking an instrument. I had it narrowed down to strings but which was just right.
Violin?
No that's too small, sounds too high, too basic.
Cello?
No that's too big and sounds too low.
I wanted to play Viola.
It was just right. The perfect combination of the two and it felt special but in 4th grade no one really knew what it was or even wanted to play it except me, but i loved it.
By 6th grade I had lost interest in playing it. Forward 4 years later and I'm choosing junior year classes.
I select my Math, Science, Engineering English, History and French classes.
I need one more class.
Why not?
Maybe because …show more content…
That was what I remembered from 4th grade. I got this it's like riding a bike. I expected to sit down and pick up where I left off. What a difference 4 years not playing had made. This was a high school orchestra. Not the elementary orchestra that I had left behind.
I can't tune, can barely read the music and my fingering is off.
I had thrown myself into wholly new situation.
What did I expect?
Thankfully, I was 3rd chair. 3rd chair because there were only 3 of us.
Still let's try
That's exactly what I would do. Attempt to play. I sat in the back and would play the notes that I could read. If I messed up, no one could hear me so I was safe. Better yet, I would choose to not even really play. I could sit back and shadow bow.
Since there were only three of us in my section, the conductor soon required us to all be in the first row.
The problem was that I thought that was a bad thing. I hadn't played in years and I sucked at it but nothing was going to change if I didn't do anything about it.
In the back, if I played badly, no one could tell. In the front, the conductors ears were at my peg board. If I actually wanted to improve, that was where I should have already
Violin?
No that's too small, sounds too high, too basic.
Cello?
No that's too big and sounds too low.
I wanted to play Viola.
It was just right. The perfect combination of the two and it felt special but in 4th grade no one really knew what it was or even wanted to play it except me, but i loved it.
By 6th grade I had lost interest in playing it. Forward 4 years later and I'm choosing junior year classes.
I select my Math, Science, Engineering English, History and French classes.
I need one more class.
Why not?
Maybe because …show more content…
That was what I remembered from 4th grade. I got this it's like riding a bike. I expected to sit down and pick up where I left off. What a difference 4 years not playing had made. This was a high school orchestra. Not the elementary orchestra that I had left behind.
I can't tune, can barely read the music and my fingering is off.
I had thrown myself into wholly new situation.
What did I expect?
Thankfully, I was 3rd chair. 3rd chair because there were only 3 of us.
Still let's try
That's exactly what I would do. Attempt to play. I sat in the back and would play the notes that I could read. If I messed up, no one could hear me so I was safe. Better yet, I would choose to not even really play. I could sit back and shadow bow.
Since there were only three of us in my section, the conductor soon required us to all be in the first row.
The problem was that I thought that was a bad thing. I hadn't played in years and I sucked at it but nothing was going to change if I didn't do anything about it.
In the back, if I played badly, no one could tell. In the front, the conductors ears were at my peg board. If I actually wanted to improve, that was where I should have already