To My Old Violin,
I am sorry I've kept you locked away in your case for over a year now. You don't deserve that, you deserve to be played. I tell myself I need to take you out of the case, rosin up that old bow, tune the strings, and let the notes fly from the music and into the world. Life got busy, I moved away to college and you're still at home. Though I don't give you the attention you deserve anymore, I'm thankful for all the lessons you have taught me.
Thank you for the practice logs, for the hours complaining about how I had to fill them out, but they made it worth it in the end. You taught me that the practice does make perfect, the more effort I put into the music, the more I got from it.
Thank you for all the rehearsals and performances. I got to play for my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I played music I hated and music I love. Canon in D will be ingrained in my brain forever, but nothing was more exciting than the Pirates of the Caribbean theme songs. You took me across North Carolina and to Carnegie Hall in New York City to perform. You gave me life experiences I will never forget.
You also gave me best friends. I made friends with the other Orch Dorks and Band Geeks and learned a lot from each of them. The older kids helped me with my vibrato and posture, while the younger kids showed me the enthusiasm of finally nailing the tricky shifting pattern they have been working on for weeks. We all came from different backgrounds, but our love for the music and the instruments was more than enough to create bonds that lasted for years.
You taught me to be a team player. Orchestra and quartets are not about the individual, but about the collective. I had to know my parts, but I also had to be aware of my comrades parts. You taught me to listen to others, their notes and their words, and to play alongside them, feeling the rhythm we created. Being a supporting member of the orchestra was just as important as being a soloist, and every part mattered. No matter where I was in the orchestra, I could be heard and was important to the group.
Most of all, thank you for the love of music. Without you and the numerous music history and music theory classes I took throughout the years, I could never truly appreciate music to the same degree I do today. You taught me to understand music and where it comes from, to appreciate the classics and the art music is. You helped me under stressful situations, and were there when everything was going right. There was a song for every feeling and every moment, and I could pull you out to play the right notes.
So thank you, for all the lessons learned and the years of experiences nothing else could give me.
Sincerely,
An Old Student
