At a young age, I wanted to try playing the violin. My parents knew that music has helped others to come out of their shell so they thought it would be really great for me to learn to play. So, my parents rented a violin for me from a music shop so I could try it out and see if violin was something I really wanted to do.
I didn’t like playing the violin at all, someone that we knew of taught violin lessons and agreed to take me on as a student. I hated every second of it. My teacher didn’t really even care about my learning style and just tried to force music down my throat. She was not very nice and was very strict. She didn’t teach me any basic techniques but rather just went right into reading symphony music. For someone who had never looked at music before, and who suddenly had to look at really hard and cramped together notes on the paper of symphony pieces, I felt pretty overwhelmed.
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| This is a sample of what Symphony sheet music looks like. Source: http://www.kostitsyn.org/pic/Symphony%202.%20Version%202.%20Page%2034.bmp , http://www.kostitsyn.org/symphony2.php |
In the winter, I had been skiing and fell into a tree well and broke my arm. But my parents and I did not know that my arm was fractured. I continued with violin lessons but when I was playing I would complain that my arm hurt. But my teacher would tell me to stop complaining and would say that she didn’t want to hear it. I then quit violin… and later in the new year after rebreaking my arm it was then we realised why it had hurt so much to hold the violin.
Fast forward to quite a few years later. I was watching an anime with my sister and one of the main character girls played the violin and did so beautifully. I got the spark and desire to play the violin again. But I didn’t know how to tell my parents. On my Mum’s bed in the hospital after one of her many surgeries I told her that I wanted to show her the anime, and then I whispered in her ear that I wanted to play the violin again. My Dad wanted to be part of the conversation so I told him sheepishly what I had just told my mum; that I wanted to play the violin. My dad said that for playing an instrument you have to feel the music. I was so desperate to play I responded saying, “I will feel the music!” Even though at that time I knew full well that I had always had a hard time hearing rhythm and beats and I had no idea if I would be able to feel the music…
After I got home that evening with the “ok” from both my mum and dad I went on the internet to search for a violin. I found a great man named Mr McKay and his online store. He had beautiful starter violins for a great price. For the bow, violin, and case it was only $150. I was being home schooled at that time and so I asked my resource teacher if I could use some of my school money to buy myself a violin. To my delight, he said “yes”…
I contacted Mr McKay and I then went with my parents later in the week to get my new violin.
Now I faced another problem, I needed a violin teacher. So, my mother put out a request on the home schooling website to ask if anyone knew of a good violin teacher. We got a response and made a phone call ... and I had a violin teacher.
My new teacher Sarah was so kind! I was really nervous about my first lesson and didn’t know what to expect. And to my disappointment I wasn’t really even playing for my first lesson, it was just all technique and how to hold the violin and bow, and things like that. At the time, I was so upset that that’s all it was but now I look back and I am so thankful that Sarah had me start at the beginning. After quite a few lessons I liked the violin but I would always put off practising. I wanted to play but didn’t want to put into time to get to be a good violinist.
In the summer Sarah takes time off of teaching but will still teach a few lessons here or there if someone wants to have one. I was so glad for the break and there was no way that I wanted to pick up my violin at all when I was on my summer holiday!
But then my family and I went to see my sister and her fiancé who lived in Alberta. I was at that point where I was starting to learn how to enjoy life so when my sister said she wanted to show my mum and I a new Pride and Prejudice (by Jane Austen), movie that she found by BBC, I was so excited to see it. It was in 1-hour episodes so it wasn’t a really long movie to watch.
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| Source: https://www.amazon.ca/Pride-Prejudice-Keepsake-Colin-Firth/dp/B00G6HO368/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1500350823&sr=1-1&keywords=pride+and+prejudice |
I remember watching an episode in which Elizabeth was sitting at the piano playing and Mr Darcy walked over to talk to her. She was talking to Darcy’s cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam about Mr Darcy. After a few words exchanged, Elizabeth went on to tell Fitzwilliam that Mr Darcy wouldn’t dance with any ladies at a town dance. Mr Darcy then said that he doesn’t know how to really talk to strangers. Elizabeth replied,
“I do not play this instrument so well as I should wish to, but I have always supposed that to be my own fault, because I would not take the trouble of practicing.” Episode 3: 40 minutes and 32 seconds
That just jumped right out of the tv and almost slapped me in the face! I wanted to be not just a good violinist but a great violinist, but I was ruining my own chances at becoming great! After seeing that episode Elizabeth’s words stuck in my mind. As soon as I got back home, I started practising my violin every day even if it was only for a few short minutes. But then I would find that I just kept going until I had played all the songs that I knew in my Suzuki Violin Book 2. By the end of the summer, I had made such an improvement in my violin playing that my teacher was shocked to hear me play when I returned for lessons in the fall.
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| source: https://www.amazon.com/Suzuki-Violin-School-Revised-Part/dp/B00E3QVF1K/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0/147-7216894-0875418?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=G3GWABSX12WY60ERYEVJ |
I was so happy that I actually had progressed in my playing and all because of something someone said in a movie.
Later on, in my life, I fell in-love with reading and I bought myself a copy of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I have loved reading the book over and over, again and again. And those same words still resonate in my heart and soul!
I love playing the violin so much! I have now recently purchased a new violin better suited for my skill and I was told by Sarah that if I was to take a violin test that she would have me go for my grade 5! That is so huge and amazing since I have only been playing the violin for four and a half years!
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| A picture of my new violin, that I am so thankful to the Lord that I was able to buy it. |
Last year I started playing the piano and I love it! I am not at the point I would like to be at but that is because I have not practised a lot lately.
I love playing and getting better. I recently had a few weeks off from playing my violin but now I am back to playing every day, and I am also working on playing my piano at least once a day even if it is just to do some scales and a short song. And I love “making a joyful noise unto the Lord” ~Psalm 100:1 KJV.
I would recommend that if you like music then practise a little bit at a time every day, then when you do go to play for a longer amount of time you will surprise yourself at how much you have improved and you will fall in love with the results.
Want to learn to play the violin? I strongly suggest you begin with a student violin from Mr McKay: https://mckaydistributors.com/password
To read the full inspiring quote from Pride and Prejudice it is in Chapter 31 page 132,
“My fingers, do not move over this instrument in the masterly manner which I see so many women’s do. They have not the same force or rapidity, and do not produce the same expression. But then I have always supposed it to be my own fault – because I would not take the trouble of practising.”
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| Picture of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: chapter 31 page 132 |
Are you interested in watching the Pride and Prejudice movie by BBC, here is the link for the one I bought: https://www.amazon.ca/Pride-Prejudice-Keepsake-Colin-Firth/dp/B00G6HO368/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1500341388&sr=1-1&keywords=pride+and+prejudice
