A Delightful First Experience

I had my first violin lesson today. In one of my earlier posts, I shared that a mother and son’s violin and piano duet inspired me to want to learn violin. Since then, I have often envisioned filling our home with music.

My first lesson felt like walking into a new country that spoke a language I had never heard of. With no prior musical background, I expected my first lesson to be introductory.

Little did I know that I would spend the first few minutes doing stretches. Having a proper posture is essential for playing the violin. The stretches are supposed to loosen you up.

I then proceeded to learn the proper posture and the correct way to hold the violin. It felt like the first day of school all over again.

As adults, our bodies have had many years of practice doing day-to-day tasks. As a result, simple things like holding and picking up items become instinctive.

But when you learn an instrument, there is a proper way to hold and position it. Your body needs to re-learn everything. It’s like learning to eat with chopsticks or write with a pencil for the first time.

It’s experiences like these that make us humble. We can be masters at something and be total novices in something else. The first lessons are truly special. Our senses heighten, and we try to process so many things that are new to us.

I am delighted to have experienced a first today. I look forward to a long journey into the world of music.