Blog Swap!

Today is Blog Swap Day!!!  I didn't know that until today, but imagine my surprise when Michelle over at Gooseberried  agreed to blog swap with me today!!  You can find my entry on Michelle's blog!  And here's Michelle's blog entry.  We were to write about something we hope to do in 2011 that has been put off in 2010.  Here's Michelle--

Hi everyone! I'm so lucky to have met Shunta today on Twitter because she agreed to participate in the 20-Something Blogger's Blog Swap with me. The partner I was originally assigned to bailed on me and I was a sad face. Then in comes Shunta and I'm happy again! It's like she's my super hero...

Anyway, the topic for this post is:

Action. 

What will you do next year that you've been putting off for too long?

When I was in 5th grade, I was forced to join either band or orchestra. My elementary school always had a music hour, but this time we actually had to choose to be involved with something. I had no idea what I wanted to do so naturally, I did whatever my best friend of the time did. I guess you could say I was a follower. My friend wanted to play a violin because her older sister did. I guess you could say she was a follower too. 

During my first orchestra class, the teacher, Mr. Cheney, asked me what I wanted to play. I told him that I wanted to play the violin not because I was sure I should be playing the violin, but because that was all I really knew of. So, he sat me in the second violin section next to a boy named Sam, whom I loathed because he always teased me in between classes. I noticed that there was another section between the 2nd violins and the cellos. They were playing instruments that looked like violins too. I immediately asked Mr. Cheney why I couldn't sit in their section instead of having to pair with Sam. He told me that they were playing violas which were much different to playing the violin. Then I told him in response that I changed my mind and would rather play a viola.

And in that mere moment, I picked something to be a part of my life for the next seven years. All because of a boy I hated.

Turns out, I was pretty good at music. Mr. Cheney didn't know who I was when he first met me but I quickly moved up from last chair to first chair when he noticed how natural the music came to me. Most of my fellow students ended up hating orchestra and dropping it within the next year or two. Although the daily practicing was tedious, I actually enjoyed being involved in orchestra. 

When I finally made it to junior high, I was told about an annual competition in Arizona called All-State. It was the first ever competition I would participate in wherein I had to audition for my place within the viola section. I was nervous, but I did the best I could and ended up in 11th chair. 11 out of 38. Not bad.

In high school, there were more of these types of competitions where I had to audition for a spot. Some of the other people in my school would audition and wouldn't make it meaning, they wouldn't even get to go. But each year, I always made it. I didn't always make it to the top and place 1st or 2nd chair. But, I always made it and I loved it. 

When I graduated high school, I decided not to continue doing orchestra in college. Mostly, I didn't want to deal with seeing all the stuck up people that can afford private lessons with a person who charges $200 per hour on a daily basis and I also didn't think I would have time for it. After abandoning my musical talents for the 4.5 years I went to college, I recently decided to purchase my own viola and start getting back into it again. I didn't know where I would go with it, but I wanted to at least make it a part of my life.

In deciding this, I totally forgot how incredibly hard it is to play especially after 4.5 years out of practice. Even tuning the dang thing was hard. After a few half-[behind] (censor!) attempts for practice sessions, I gave up and put my viola back in its case and tucked into the closet. In 2011, I'm hoping to change all this. I want to start picking a few days of the week to practice my viola starting with tuning and re-learning all the scales. Even though it's going to be a painful process, I'm committing to re-learning and establishing my talents.

Who knows, maybe I'll get so good at it, I'll feel confident enough to try out for the local symphony orchestra. 

Michelle

Thanks so much Michelle for blog swapping with me today!  I hope you'll come back this time next year and let us know how the viola playing is coming along!!  I was a cello player myself! It's your turn now friendly reader!  What will you hope to do in 2011 that you've been putting off for too long?

Do tell,

SG