A New Language

Music is a language that only a select few know how to speak. I was fortunate enough to

find out that I am able to speak this language at an early age, but I never thought it would

become such a big part of my life.

When I was in fourth grade I had the opportunity to try out different instruments and see

if any of them appealed to me. When I first walked into the room, I took a deep breath and I met

the man that has brought me to where I am now in my musical abilities, Mr. Hunt. Before I even

stepped foot into the room, I knew that I wanted to play the violin and I never even considered

other options. When I first walked into the room Mr. Hunt said to me “Hello, are you interested

in playing an instrument?”

“Yes. I want to play the violin.”

“Well, why don’t you try a few other instruments and then you can make your decision.”

Mr. Hunt first suggested that I try the cello, and I knew at first look that the cello was not

for me. Then I tried my dream instrument, the violin. When I first placed the violin on my

shoulder, I was overcome by feelings of insecurity and uncertainty. I was so confident in my

decision until I held the violin. Mr. Hunt then suggested that I try the viola. To be truthful, I

didn’t even know what a viola was until I put it up to my shoulder.  Once my neck touched the

body of the instrument, I immediately felt a rush of excitement, and I knew what instrument to

pick. Mr. Hunt handed me a piece of pink paper with four boxes marked violin, viola, cello, and

bass. I put a check in the box marked viola and with that, I began one of the most challenging yet

rewarding journeys of my life.

After about a week of having the viola, we had our first after school practice. I was so

anxious to finally be able to take my viola out of the case and play it for the first time. The first

time I saw a piece of music I didn’t know what to make of it. To a beginning musician, all the

markings looked like little scribbles. I remember seeing things that looked like hairpins and

upside down P’s which now I know as crescendos, decrescendos, and miscellaneous notes.

Looking at the sheet of music, I was reminded of a foreign language that had yet to be

discovered. I was excited to find that I would be the one to uncover the language and make it one

of my own; that I would be able to speak through my viola and develop as my skills improved. I

like to think of music as a foreign language because it helps me to make music my own.

Although I was excited about learning this new language, I didn’t have much patience to

learn what the scribbles meant. I went home to my mom and said “Mom, I don’t want to play the

viola anymore.”  

“Why not?”

“Because it’s too hard.”

“You're just starting. It will be hard for a little while, but then you will get the hang of it

and it will be a piece of cake.”

What my mom told me that day has taught me that just because things seem hard in the

beginning doesn’t mean you should give up, but instead, you should persevere because

eventually it will get easier and it will pay off in the end. This has proven to be true throughout

my musical experience in how I approach difficult music and how I deal with it. I am always

reminded of this lesson when we are given a new piece of music.  I’ve learned that when a piece

of music seems difficult in the beginning, with hard work and endurance, the end result is both

attainable and rewarding.

Since I began to play the viola, I have found which pieces of music I prefer and which

music best suits my personality. My music knowledge has expanded since I began and I have

had the honor of being able to play many well-known pieces. My favorite piece that I have

played is Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 because I feel that it represents

my personality very well. This piece represents the struggles I have overcome to be at the point

where I am at now. Being able to play a piece that is this difficult shows how my music abilities

have developed and how I have been able to go from reading sheet music that had me pluck the

D string on my viola to reading very difficult pieces like Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3.

I initially thought playing the viola would just be something fun to do in my free time,

but the first time I touched the bow to the string, I realized that this was something that I wanted

to do for the rest of my life. Music allows me to express myself and my feelings in a language

that few know how to speak but in a way that everyone can understand and relate to in their own

way.