ah, music!
I picked up my violin today for the first time in a long time.
I did not merely pick it up though. No. I opened the case. And then I took the violin out of the case. And tuned the three strings my violin has after the destruction of the G string when I inadvertently tried to tune my instrument to the wrong notes. *ahem* (I didn't say I was any good at playing the violin; I merely said I picked up my violin.) Which strings refused to stay in the proper tuning (of which my husband so kindly advised me) for more than three minutes. Of course, my playing (read: attempting to play by ear "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "The Blue Danube") may have had something to do with that...
So, after several squeaky, ear-piercing and rather failed attempts to play something beautiful and classical as though I've been playing the violin since I was four, I laid my instrument to rest (until such time as I am able to have it restrung, retuned, and perhaps repegged by someone who knows what they're doing) and moved on to the piano. Which I also haven't touched in quite a while.
And proceeded to play (read: attempt to play) "Nocturne in E Flat" by Chopin (melody line only, as that was difficult enough and I could only keep up for the first measure or two). Upon giving up Chopin until further lessons can be acquired, I turned to my old favorite - my only favorite - that I can play by heart and dang near better than any one else can: Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata." Not to brag, but I know that one by heart and so well that I could play it in my sleep. And it's so relaxing and soul-hypnotizing to play that I have literally fallen nearly asleep while playing it before, although my fingers continue to move over the notes perfectly. I suppose it's not bragging, really, when "Moonlight Sonata" is the only classical piece (read: the only piece in the entire world) that you can play by heart. And what's really sad? It's been so long since I last looked at the music for "Moonlight" that if I were to try to play the music by sight, instead of from memory, I would have a horribly difficult time at it. I'm terrible at reading music. Or music theory in general. I could be playing a song I myself wrote, and my husband will say, "What key are you playing in?" and I am stumped and look at where my hands are positioned on the piano and mumble something that sounds like "Hummmphhheehhhhhh?"
Anyway. All this rambling to say: I remembered how much I like music, and I think I found a spark of that whatever-it-was that made me want to major in it my first year or so in college.
To sum up: Music is pretty stinking awesome.
I did not merely pick it up though. No. I opened the case. And then I took the violin out of the case. And tuned the three strings my violin has after the destruction of the G string when I inadvertently tried to tune my instrument to the wrong notes. *ahem* (I didn't say I was any good at playing the violin; I merely said I picked up my violin.) Which strings refused to stay in the proper tuning (of which my husband so kindly advised me) for more than three minutes. Of course, my playing (read: attempting to play by ear "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "The Blue Danube") may have had something to do with that...
So, after several squeaky, ear-piercing and rather failed attempts to play something beautiful and classical as though I've been playing the violin since I was four, I laid my instrument to rest (until such time as I am able to have it restrung, retuned, and perhaps repegged by someone who knows what they're doing) and moved on to the piano. Which I also haven't touched in quite a while.
And proceeded to play (read: attempt to play) "Nocturne in E Flat" by Chopin (melody line only, as that was difficult enough and I could only keep up for the first measure or two). Upon giving up Chopin until further lessons can be acquired, I turned to my old favorite - my only favorite - that I can play by heart and dang near better than any one else can: Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata." Not to brag, but I know that one by heart and so well that I could play it in my sleep. And it's so relaxing and soul-hypnotizing to play that I have literally fallen nearly asleep while playing it before, although my fingers continue to move over the notes perfectly. I suppose it's not bragging, really, when "Moonlight Sonata" is the only classical piece (read: the only piece in the entire world) that you can play by heart. And what's really sad? It's been so long since I last looked at the music for "Moonlight" that if I were to try to play the music by sight, instead of from memory, I would have a horribly difficult time at it. I'm terrible at reading music. Or music theory in general. I could be playing a song I myself wrote, and my husband will say, "What key are you playing in?" and I am stumped and look at where my hands are positioned on the piano and mumble something that sounds like "Hummmphhheehhhhhh?"
Anyway. All this rambling to say: I remembered how much I like music, and I think I found a spark of that whatever-it-was that made me want to major in it my first year or so in college.
To sum up: Music is pretty stinking awesome.