I might have to get up off the couch
I attended my 12 year-old daughter's band concert tonight. Two hours later my butt still hurts.
The evening took me back to my orchestra days. I played the violin from the 4th grade until halfway through my junior year of high school. It's hard to believe, I know, but there was a time in my life when there was no doubt what I would be when I grew up. A concert violinist.
I loved playing music, especially chamber music. Being in a concert orchestra, when everything clicks, is like being swept along with the tide. Your fingers begin to automatically find their place, you feel it, you get into a groove. It's a wonderful thing that happens - to become a part of something bigger than yourself, something that can't exist without all the different, individual parts coming together to make a whole. Wonderful.
But I especially liked playing chamber music. With a smaller group of instruments the harmonies are more distinct, the intertwining melodies dance around each other and sometimes join to make an entirely different sound. It's more intimate.
I played in a trio with two girls in school. Laura and I played violin and Jeri played the cello. We were good together, won a few contests, performed at my sister's wedding. Who knows where we would have ended up if we hadn't drifted apart, if we'd realized how talented we were and made a go of it?
But life happens, doesn't it?
Jeri ended up moving away and Laura went to a different high school. I decided violin was too hard and dropped out of orchestra for drama class. Not long after that, I dropped out of high school altogether, got married, got pregnant, etc. Yay, me.
I recently found Jeri again and I hope we can get together soon. The last I heard of Laura, she was married to a veterinarian, had some kids, and was teaching math in Clear Lake. I don't think any of us would change anything. But I daydream sometimes about "what if."
What if I ever actually lived up to any of my potential?
The evening took me back to my orchestra days. I played the violin from the 4th grade until halfway through my junior year of high school. It's hard to believe, I know, but there was a time in my life when there was no doubt what I would be when I grew up. A concert violinist.
I loved playing music, especially chamber music. Being in a concert orchestra, when everything clicks, is like being swept along with the tide. Your fingers begin to automatically find their place, you feel it, you get into a groove. It's a wonderful thing that happens - to become a part of something bigger than yourself, something that can't exist without all the different, individual parts coming together to make a whole. Wonderful.
But I especially liked playing chamber music. With a smaller group of instruments the harmonies are more distinct, the intertwining melodies dance around each other and sometimes join to make an entirely different sound. It's more intimate.
I played in a trio with two girls in school. Laura and I played violin and Jeri played the cello. We were good together, won a few contests, performed at my sister's wedding. Who knows where we would have ended up if we hadn't drifted apart, if we'd realized how talented we were and made a go of it?
But life happens, doesn't it?
Jeri ended up moving away and Laura went to a different high school. I decided violin was too hard and dropped out of orchestra for drama class. Not long after that, I dropped out of high school altogether, got married, got pregnant, etc. Yay, me.
I recently found Jeri again and I hope we can get together soon. The last I heard of Laura, she was married to a veterinarian, had some kids, and was teaching math in Clear Lake. I don't think any of us would change anything. But I daydream sometimes about "what if."
What if I ever actually lived up to any of my potential?
posted by Cas at 9:47 PM
1 Comments:
ahhh - but if you hadn't done what you did - would you be posting blogs and working on a writing career? Probably not - because we all have to make our choices. You chose to leave high school and move on to something that has made you what you are today.
My daughter is finishing 8th grade this year and she was voted "most talented" for the 8th grade superlatives - which I think is great - She plays flute for concert band, has been in colorguard with the marching band and has played tuba in the marching band - other than that - can't figure out what her "most talented" vote is for -
This year both my kids will be in the marching band - son plays percussion and will be on the front line and daughter will be doing colorguard again - hopefully they will use their talents (well daughter says she will probably be a music teacher - she would get to learn several instruments and she likes this idea - I think she will do well in this field)
Who knows - maybe that child of yours will do something with her music ability - but whatever direction they go, just support them and encourage them all the way - E :)
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