Something I really appreciate about working and studying from home is that it actually gives me time to delve more into my hobbies other than writing.
See, before the pandemic (before college, even) I used to play the violin. I was actually a member of my schools’ orchestra up until my junior year of high school. I definitely wasn’t a Mozart, but I could at least hold a note. My grandfather even bought me a violin when I was younger so that I would no longer have to rent one every school year. Though unfortunately for the last five years it’s been sitting under my bed, unused. My mom would often ask why I kept the thing if I never planned on playing it.
But it was as I was preparing for another year of college—another year of not being on campus or pulling all-nighters in the library—I saw my violin case peeping out from the corner of the bedframe. I slid it out, finally gave it a good dusting, tuned it to the best of my abilities, and began to practice. It took a couple of run-throughs but I was soon able to play some of my old orchestra songs fluently.
I kept practicing throughout the end of August, and shared my interests in improving with a few of my peers. They mentioned that our college was having orchestra tryouts in September and that I should give it a shot. Long story short: I tried out and got in! (Though to be fair, I bombed the sight-reading section of my tryout.)
It’s October now and I’m loving the experience. I find that it motivates me to practice more when I have concerts to prep for and a group of other individuals eager to improve their skills. And, hey, maybe this will be the year I finally learn vibrato.
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