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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

"I'll be the violin in the back row with a HUGE smile on my face."


I'm in the community orchestra here. I've been a part of it for a little over a year now. It still amazes me how much I LOVE it.

I love practicing. I love playing my part, and hearing that just me alone isn't very musical. And then I love joining with all of the other instruments, and it sounds like music!
I love the focus it takes for each of us to create each piece.
I love variety of music that can be created with so many of us working together: Yesterday's concert was Christmas themed. We played an arrangement of Joy to the World that just made my heart sing. There was also a selection from the Nutcracker ballet, complete with a few dancers. (I'm still bummed that I never got to see them dance... I just wanted to put the violin down for a bit and watch, but I also wanted to play.)
In the past, I've played with the band Kansas. Whenever I hear the song, Dust in the Wind, I get happy remembering the day I spent with Danny, the violinist... And how hard we all worked. And the sunset. And the rain during an outdoor concert.
We've played songs from movie soundtracks. I think those are some of my favorite. I love the story that music can tell. When I hear "Pirates of the Caribbean", I KNOW it's telling stories of pirates and open seas and battles. 
I've played Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Back, Berlioz, and many other great and amazing composers.
 
The video is of a rehearsal last year. Tchaikovsky. THAT was a fun piece to play!!
Really - I'm just sharing it with you, because I wanted to put something here... and I couldn't find the pictures of me playing the violin. AND I loved the end where the conductor is singing our parts. 

I started playing with an orchestra when I was eight, but I remember the first time I felt a part of an orchestra. I was in 7th grade. We were playing (a simplified version of the) Overture from Carmen. I heard my violin sing. I heard the other instruments all coming together. That was the feeling I wanted when I started playing with the community orchestra.

It's even better now. Take away the need to play perfectly. Take away the grades and the competition for who can be the best. Put in a group of people who are ALL there because they want to be. Because this is fun. It just feels amazing!

3 comments:

  1. Your concert was awesome! I saw you in the back row smiling:) I love all that beautiful Christmas music. It was wonderful. If you still want to see the ballet, a friend of mine is the teacher that came with the girls. I could call her and see if they will be performing any where.

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  2. P.S. The video didn't work. It said it was not currently available and try again later.

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  3. Yes. I would love to see them!

    Oh... and bummer about the video. Not sure what's up with that...

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