violin

                I love playing the violin.

                My experience with instruments walked a rather common route, starting off with a soprano recorder and a piano until my interest shifted from the piano to the violin. Six years before, I distantly remember tormented by two-hours-long lessons and refusing to practice every day. Just like any typical Korean fourth grader, I learned violin because I did, without any passion or ambition to improve. Even when I had to play at graduation ceremonies in my elementary school, I wasn’t very intrigued about it. I remember having rows with my mom because she never let me stop playing the violin, which I’m dead grateful of as to think back now. That’s the story of the first three years of my violin playing career.

Things began to change as I joined the municipal youth orchestra in Seoul. I started to enjoy playing the violin while making music together with my friends and fooling around with them. I looked forward for orchestra practices. Despite the late start and passion in playing the violin, I've held various recitals both in Korea and India, and was the concertmaster of India National Youth Orchestra in 2011. The best part of being in an orchestra is that I am able to cooperate with others to harmonize, and I really liked the orchestral sound we produced. Because of my fondness for classical rock and modern genres too, I enjoy making violin covers and collaborating with others.

Being able to play the violin opened a lot of opportunities for me, those which I never could have otherwise. I had great experiences of acquainting musicians from the Netherlands, Dubai, New York, and mostly friends in my school. I think voluntarily practicing and playing together after school in ensembles and in concerts helped making the friendship between me and my friends stronger.

Violins have a wide range of sounds and feelings it can express. From deep and rich to sharp and cutting, from despair and anguish to being rapturous and jubilant. For me, playing the violin is some kind of a catharsis with the variety of emotions it can express. It makes me feel better. 

Although I’m neither professional nor have I reached mastery, as an amateur musician, violinist of all genres, and a great music-enthusiast, I am confident to claim that I love playing the violin.