The letter V

I just looked at my A to Z Challenge blog posts and realized I forgot the letter V!  I went right from U to W. Oops!  So, here is my word for the letter V:   violin.

I grew up learning music. I took piano lessons and played the flute all through school.  But, I never got the opportunity to learn about string instruments until my younger daughter decided in 2nd grade that she wanted to learn to play the violin.  

I was happy she was interested in any instrument - so off we went to rent a violin, and I researched the best person in our area to give her lessons.   That pursuit turned out to be a very important part of all our lives for many years.  My daughter started taking suzuki lessons from Mrs. T, a retired teacher and violinist, who with her husband (a high school band director) had started the Sussex County Youth Orchestra.  Our school system had two strings programs in it - which was rare and truly awesome.  So, children in the county were learning strings. The county orchestra gave those children another opportunity to play and to develop their skills to a higher level.

To make a long story short, my daughter was in the orchestra all the way through high school.  My other daughter got involved too, and I was a volunteer mom for many activities.  We had some amazing experiences as part of this group.   The orchestra got to play at Carnegie Hall - a real thrill!  And, we went to Europe twice as "NJ Ambassadors of Music" and the orchestra performed in old churches and lovely park settings - in France, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.  We met wonderful people, did some great sight-seeing, and shared the gift of music.   Those years were wonderful!

My daughter and a few friends from the orchestra even used their talent and played together as a small strings combo at wedding receptions, cocktail parties, etc.  Their name was were "In Rare Form"...  and they were!

Back to the V word:  I remember sitting in the room outside where my daughter took her lessons and listening...  and the sound of the violin was so, so beautiful!  Granted in the very beginning I heard some screeching and "Twinkle Twinkle" many times over and over.  But, sometimes I sat in the waiting area in awe of the music coming out of the next room.  As the years went by, my daughter and her teacher played duets together.  It was lovely!!

A violin is such an expressive instrument.  It "sings".  It is an intricate part of classical music, but is played in every genre of music.  These days I listen to a lot of country music, and again it's there:  as a fiddle!  It's very important to country music!!

So, I thank my daughter for choosing the violin.  She brought a love of the instrument to me too.