Comments on: Giving up the violin

By: Steve Buchheit

Steve Buchheit — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:18:28 +0000

I have the same feeling looking at my guitars (still have two). I haven’t touched them for over a year now. Looked at my old sight reading book, still marked at where I stopped by in high school, now it looks like so much chicken scratching. I could probably tease it out, but not at the speed to play it in real time (16th notes runs, um, yeah, could do that once). And then playing songs I used to know by heart, like Blackbird, and the fingers still work, just not in synch or as sure. Getting old sucks.

By: Ami

Ami — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:38:20 +0000

I guess I’m not talking about just a musical instrument, but it is sad when, for whatever reason, we have to put away a talent in order to focus on another one.

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:22:47 +0000

Yeah, it’s that moment when you look at sheet music that ought to be something you can play and you just can’t.

By: Debbie Smith

Debbie Smith — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:08:28 +0000

Mary: I had the same experience when I finally gave away my clarinette. I played for, I don’t know, around the same amount of time. When I moved to California it stayed in it’s case until I finally took it out and realized I didn’t have the lip muscles to play anymore. The music looked like a foreign language to me. It was distressing. I finally gave it to a charity so maybe some child could get some pleasure out if it. Of course, the corks really needed to be replaced. Sigh. A part of my life I’ll never reclaim. Not exactly a bad thing. But sentimental.

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:58:43 +0000

I didn’t know that it was your first fiddle! I knew about the pawn shop, but that was it.

By: -d-

-d- — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:49:36 +0000

This is the first fiddle I ever owned. I bought it from a cousin who bought it at a pawn shop for $10. Things have changed since 1964. I took it to an old time jam last night and it really puts out a lot of sound compared to my “good” fiddle but it is really harsh to practice with.

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:55:46 +0000

Yes, since you don’t have my excuse.

By: Michael Curry

Michael Curry — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:46:01 +0000

Someday you might. I guess I should practice more….

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:29:43 +0000

Someday I have to hear you play Irish flute.

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:28:28 +0000

That’s true. I really should haul it out and play while I’m here.

By: Michael Curry

Michael Curry — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:23:09 +0000

Definitely sad. Though since your shoulder ruled out working your way back to a level of proficiency that you might have been comfortable with, I guess hanging onto the instrument when your father had asked you to bring it home would have been not so good either.

Bleah.

I’m still early in the Irish flute thing, so I don’t yet have long years of playing behind me, but I can already sympathize. I think the suggestion of taking up some other instrument that wouldn’t be physically taxing in the same way is a good one.

By: Mike F

Mike F — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:53:26 +0000

I can understand the frustration. Maybe you can play when you visit home. It will be something to do whenever you visit.

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:39:48 +0000

Darn it. You’re making me want to pick the violin up and play while I’m here visiting my folks.

By: Dan Guy

Dan Guy — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:44:48 +0000

Same here. I had to google the clef last time I tried in order to figure out what the first note was. If I can get the first note right I can deduce the others from it, but it’s slow going now. My fingers don’t go to exactly the right places anymore.

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:34:25 +0000

Yeah, I think it’s that I’m going from “don’t play” to “can’t play.”

By: Dan Guy

Dan Guy — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:19:14 +0000

I’m in a similar boat. I started at age 5 and played violin and viola for 14 years before putting them aside.

I kept my viola, though.

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:46:27 +0000

Oh hush, you two.

By: Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:44:48 +0000

Maybe the mandolin. It’s tuned the same way. And I sing.

By: Mary Dell

Mary Dell — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:08:15 +0000

That sucks…is there another instrument you can take up to fill a part of the void?

By: Julia

Julia — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:49:39 +0000

I got to attend Voyage of The Little Mermaid last night. It has Under The Sea as puppets under blacklight, with the puppeteers dancing around in all black making the puppets move. It’s really cool to watch (regardless of the fact you can see the puppeteers if you’re in the front row like we were) and I thought of you the whole time.

By: -e-

-e- — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 06:01:18 +0000

Oh, you heard about “this wonderful girl” momk? I heard about “A girl… A WONDERFUL girl”, who “collects old etiquette books and “likes to entertain”… “I think you’ll like her”

so true.

violin or not.

By: momk

momk — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:11:26 +0000

Aww, leaving your violin.
That sounds so sad, Mary.
I remember when Rob first met
“This wonderful girl.” he told us,
“She plays the violin!” Well of
course, that was enough said.