My music.
I'd like to post a video to one of my videos I have of when I used to play...
When I was 10 years old, I started messing around on the crummy, small organ piano that had been gathering dust in our living room. My parents were amazed that as young as I was, I could keep a rhythm going and make heads and tails of all of the notes.
They enrolled me in some piano lessons shortly thereafter, and I continued taking them for about a year. Then we no longer had money to afford them.
When I was 12 I enrolled in my school's free orchestra (elementary school level). I decided to play the viola. I have no idea what made me want it, but they had a presentation day at school to try to promote band class vs. strings. The minute I saw the beautiful woodwork on the stringed instruments, it took my breath away.
I listened to the band teacher present her side of why band instruments are good, but I held firm.
So I played the viola that year. Towards the end of that year, my strings teacher came to school with her cello and played a piece for us.
Part of me lit up. Something happened in my head, my heart, my being...all of me. I kept thinking, "I have to play like that. I have to play like that."
Her vibrato captivated me. The beauty of the wood, the elegance of the bow being pulled across the strings, the way her hands crawled like spider legs up and down the fingerboard, the haunting, chilling tone that reverberated from the cello...it all got me.
That was the first time I ever cried while hearing someone play music.
My friends laughed at me. They didn't understand. But the next year I switched instruments, to the cello. I played that all through 6th grade, the only cellist in my orchestra.
7th grade came along. I didn't audition for the chamber orchestra at my school--I was too nervous. I didn't think I'd get in. Most of those kids were able to afford lessons, too, and I was nowhere near affording that.
So I stayed in the regular orchestra, and I played every day. When other kids would opt out of playing for one reason or another, or we were offered a book reading day instead of playing, I would always go to the tiny room in the hallway, squeeze myself and my cello in there, and play.
8th grade came around and this is when I started to go places. I enrolled in a "contest" of sorts (no one wins, you just get rated on your playing), and played the song "Chanson Triste", from Suzuki book 4 for cello.
Kevin Hekmatpanah was the adjudicator, and several members from the Spokane Symphony were there listening, mostly because they had students who were playing that day.
IT was my first ever solo performance, and I remember that was the day I learned to perfect my stage presence but after I played, I received top marks, and not only that, but according to my parents, several members of the Symphony asked them if I was taking lessons. When they said no, these people said "You need to get her some. She has talent. She could go somewhere."
I was elated--and for my birthday my mom surprised me and got me lessons from Kevin.
To end the story, I worked my butt off till 10th grade. In 9th grade I entered a bi-regional contest in Washington state, and won--so I got to go to the regional level contest in Ellensburg, a few hours away. There I performed this piece (and this is actually me playing it, on Youtube) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvuaqSsPcSc
I only had 1 and a half months or so to learn the piece, AND I got only one rehearsal with my pianist before we performed it. So forgive my errors...I made a lot of them.
Anyway, at that competition, I got one "2" rating and two "1" ratings, which is really good considering I was a freshman. (I believe getting three 1+'s is the highest score you can get, but they don't give out 1+'s very often to begin with).
Then I rehearsed that piece more and more and performed it again Mischa Maisky style (AKA fast, hard, crazy, wild. That's Maisky! hehe) at Musicfest NW, which has players from all over the PAcific Northwest.
I walked in the room and there were 8 violinists, 3 violists, and one other cellist. I almost peed myself. Violinists win EVERYTHING, I thought to myself.
Plus my biggest competition was in the room listening to me--Joy Adams. She was another student of my teacher's, and I looked up to her a lot. She, like me, got very good very fast on the cello.
So I was the last one to play...and I played...and finally the judges were ready to give out the scores...
And I WON! I got a gold medal! I remember some of those kids had traveled from all over Washington to play, and I felt terrible that I had beaten some of them, but elated that my hard work paid off. (I remember the cellist's dad saw me later and walked up to me, laughing, held out his hand, and said "Hey! You're the one who beat my son! You played well.")
I auditioned for my high school's chamber orchestra and got in at the end of 9th grade, AND auditioned successfully for the Youth symphony...and then my depression hit me.
I ended up quitting the cello. Plus my parents could no longer afford it....but I lost my drive.
It haunts me to this day. I wish I could afford it all again, because I would definitely play. I wish I had never given it up two years ago. I was an idiot.
But here are some videos of me playing, and I have more if you'd like them. These weren't at my prime, but I think I still sounded ok. At the time these were filmed I had been taking lessons for just under one year.
I don't think you have to register to view these videos, but if you do let me know and I'll try to upload them to Youtube.
http://wolfpakk.multiply.com/video/i...and_Lee_duet_1
(sorry, the violinist was out of tune in this next one ) http://wolfpakk.multiply.com/video/item/34
http://wolfpakk.multiply.com/video/i...and_Lee_duet_6

Thanks for watching and reading.