HeartStrings by Isabelle

HeartStrings by Isabelle - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

To my dearest violin,

Thank you for teaching me patience and persistence, and for reminding me that practice actually can make perfect. Thank you for teaching me the language of love, and forcing me to learn how to float elegantly across a stage in heels and a floor-length gown, without tripping and falling flat on my face. You taught me grace under pressure, how not to let staring eyes trip up my fingers, and how to laugh at myself whenever they do. You also gave me the chance to be a concertmaster, and taught me that being a leader is so much more than just deciding on bowings and sitting in that first chair. You taught me what it means to really listen. Not just to blend and match pitch, but to gratefully accept feedback and constructive criticism, and to use them to improve, even if it sometimes stung.
Thank you for also showing me the dual importance of fitting in and standing out. As an orchestra, we blend harmoniously, breathing together, playing as one. As a soloist, we pierce through that music, sharp and crisp, briefly standing in the spotlight, yet still in balance with the whole. Sometimes you could be a cruel teacher, though. A disappointing audition, a disheartening masterclass, a less than stellar solo recital. Blood, sweat, and tears – all for nothing. But even then, you were teaching me about the importance of humility and resilience, and the silent killer that is procrastination.
I want you to know that you were my very first love. The most pure, because it came directly from the heart. You filled my soul and brightened my days. You introduced me to history, language, and art. You stood by my side every single day for twelve years, and we made so many wonderful friends together. It wasn’t always easy, and sometimes I wanted to give up. I no longer wanted to spend hours a day practicing and perfecting. I even took some time off to find myself, but when I returned, you were still dutifully waiting there, ready to begin anew.
Over the past decade and more, you’ve taught me to love performing, helped relieve the pressures of school and sports, and ensured that an embarrassingly large portion of my Spotify library is taken up by 19th century Russian compositions. Music lessons, masterclasses, orchestra auditions, dinner parties, church services, charity concerts. I can’t imagine my life without you, and I can’t ever thank you enough. You were truly the greatest teacher of them all.

Love always,
Your student