Headphones On

When I was four my parents handed me a violin (such a tiny, adorable lil instrument). I studied under a philharmonic violin virtuoso. I wasn’t so shabby, playing “Infant Paganini"?¹ and learning advanced fingerings by age six.

There was a kink in my parents plan to make me a premier violinist when at age 7, my family moved to Chicagoland². Other 7-year-olds around me didn’t play violins. I was stuck as an 8-year-old as second chair³ in the Jr. High orchestra. The big kids were intimidating and shortly thereafter I begged my parents to let me stop playing the violin. I regret this decision now but at the time it was the only way not to become a lil’ smartypants who was constantly picked on by kids 4-5 years older⁴.

My love affair with strings and orchestral pop started at that tender age. I now look on with envy at people who can create (and play) beautiful string arrangements. This leads me to the new Charlotte Gainsbourg record, 5:55. I'm not gonna namedrop, I'm not going to give you my hyperbole'd take on the record, I'll let the strings on this song speak for themselves...

I recently purchased a violin again. It’s a odd feeling to pick it up because i can barely tune the thing properly yet strangely my fingers know exactly where the fingerings still are. My hand doesn't clutch at the bow, it holds it gracefully. Who knows, maybe one day I'll play the violin with ease again. Doubtful though.

¹ aka “Fantasia"? by Mollenhauer
² Forever removing my generic midwest accent and changing my life forever
³ First chair was the only other grade school kid stuck in the Jr. High orchestra... a kid who was snotty and thought he was so much better than everyone else. Granted he was better than the older kids in the orchestra with us but he only barely inched me out for first chair. This kid eventually went to Harvard Law though so I think he wins.
⁴ See Harvard Law kid in 3.

Buy some: Charlotte