Moments That Changed My Perspective by Ian

Moments That Changed My Perspective by Ian - April 2022 Scholarship Essay

Several years ago my elderly violin Ms. Mildred teacher was diagnosed with aggressive stage four pancreatic cancer. She had been my teacher since I was 11 years old, and was like a grandmother to me. Because of the cancer, she had to receive chemotherapy once a week at a clinic near her home. As the cancer progressed she began to have a hard time driving and so sometimes my mom and I would drive her there. I would wait in the car until she was finished feeling bored and frustrated about having to wait so long. She often mentioned how sad everyone looked while getting their treatments..
One day, near the end of November, she asked if I would come in around Christmas time and play a few Christmas carols and seasonal songs for the patients. I was excited about the idea and also a little nervous. I had never done anything like that before. My teacher was also the conductor of a local non profit orchestra I belonged to. I had often played in hospital settings with the group but the thought of playing all alone was a little daunting. Despite my nerves, I brought my violin the following week and spent about 45 minutes playing Christmas and Hanukkah music for the patients as they got their infusions. Right away I could see how much joy it brought to them by the expressions on their faces. Some of them even cried and many recorded the little concert to play for their families at home. Everyone thanked me when I finished and I felt so full of joy. I hadn’t realized how good it would feel to share music with people who were hurting, to take their minds off of their situation for a little while.
I decided I would do this every year if I could. Then, this year, in the beginning of December, Ms. Mildred finally lost her battle with cancer. I’ll be honest I didn’t know how I could go there again without her. It hurt too much and I couldn’t imagine being able to play without crying, but I had made a promise to myself and so I went. My fingers trembled as I tuned the violin and began the first song, "Mi Y’malel" in honor of my teacher. As soon as I started playing The patient’s faces began to smile and I remembered why I loved doing this. Somehow I made it through without too many tears and though I miss my teacher very much I hope to continue playing in her memory for many years to come.