Jeremiah

            The flowing melodies and the harmonic solos drift in the air. The sounds in a symphony hall sound easy and effortless: notes simply bowed and plucked with ease.

            The first time I heard these sounds, they changed my life forever.

            As cliché as that sounds, when I went to my first symphony concert nine years ago, a simple decision altered my way of life. My mom, my dad, and I sat in the audience for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and soaked in the warm melodies.  My mom turned to me and asked if I was excited to start the piano lessons she had booked for the upcoming month. Instead of replying to her question, I asked, “What’s that?,” simply pointing to the concertmaster holding a violin. My mom replied that she would change my lessons immediately.

            I didn’t even say that I liked the violin; I just wanted to know what it was. I guess my mom took this as my complete and utter love for the instrument, but I definitely recall otherwise.

            I don’t regret that moment because then I would have to take back all the times that the violin- my violin- has made me love and cherish. Well, I shouldn’t call it “my violin.” Its real, more like his real, name is Jeremiah. I named it with one of my friends at my beloved summer camp Interlochen. Without violin, I never could have gone to Interlochen and experience what has impacted me and will continue to for the rest of my life.

            To continue with this example, Interlochen helped me learn what it is like to live on my own, to learn determination, and to be outside of my comfort zone. I made friends who I can practically call family and I couldn’t have had these relationships without violin.

            In school, I am a part of an orchestra that is so tight-knit and dedicated. We work until we get things perfect and try until we obtain the desired result. We are such a close group of dedicated students, and we learn to work together to accomplish common goals.

            Auditions taught me how to overcome stage fright and how to prepare myself for high-pressure situations. The outcomes of these auditions have taught me to deal with rejection and how to handle good fortune.

            Violin has thrown so many things at me which I would not take back for the world. I do have to admit that I am jealous of my friends who have these glamorous “How I started violin” stories, but I can gloat about the other memories and lessons I have created to last a lifetime.

 

Thank you, Jeremiah.