About My Musical Journey In College

Many people do not understand what it’s like to play an instrument. Even those that play, have trouble understanding the true meaning of music. I did not start labeling myself a violinist until I was a sophomore in high school. Music is complicated but easy to fall in love with. The notes, the scales, the rhythms, the beats, they all work well. But the most important part of playing is the person.

The player may be able to play the instrument but it is one thing to play, and another to feel what you are playing. As a musician, it was hard to learn this and took me four years to understand this concept. We have two orchestras in my high school, the Concert String Orchestra, and Symphonic String Orchestra. Nearly everyone that is passionate about music wants to be selected to be in Symphonic. The students in Symphonic are strong and powerful players. Only the best and the top players get chosen to be in this orchestra.

The audition at the time seemed difficult in my eyes. I was unprepared to play the music that they were playing. Most of the students that were selected had private classes. I, on the other hand, am self-taught. It was a scale going up to two octaves, and an excerpt from a piece of music. I auditioned freshman year but was not selected. I was highly disappointed, and my self-esteem dropped. Many people quit and gave up after not getting into symphonic. Despite how much this failure hurt my pride, I stayed in orchestra. I realized that as long as I was playing, I was happy. Music was an escape from reality, and orchestra allowed me to emotional. I did not allow myself to be emotional during those times. I was going through a rough time and music helped me.

Being in Symphonic was a goal that took two years to accomplish. I worked hard, and practiced longer, participated more in class. Through this processes, I learned more about my instrument and who I am as a musician. Being part of something that in which I create music is an amazing experience. I have become more mature, and have developed skills that allowed me to be a better violinist. Ever since I started to appreciate the music that I play, I started to learn to play more instruments. Such as the ukulele, and the piano.

I am in hopes to continue my musical journey in college. My violin is part of me, and I want to challenge my musical skills. Being part of the Symphonic Orchestra is something that I am proud of, but it is what I learned in the process that is the most valuable.