Inspiration – Isabella Blanchard ‘20 Music is one of the most inspirational aspects of my life. When I was four, I began taking piano lessons in the stuffy basement of a house ten minutes across town. My teacher was an old woman who spoke almost too quietly to understand. But the music that she made was beautiful, and the expression and feeling with which she played was entrancing. As I continued piano lessons at the Moorestown School of Music, my teacher was young, just out of music school. The emphasis was on dynamics. I took a greater interest in technique- in the exact fingerings and expression that was necessary to convey the tone of a piano piece infused with my own spirit. I soon learned that the perfect sound was unachievable without perfect practice. There was no way to both cut corners and play effectively. Playing a song was about more than hitting the correct notes. It was necessary to spend painstaking hours at the piano to play with beauty and expression, as my teachers did. In fourth grade, I joined my school orchestra and began receiving lessons at school to play the violin. Once I learned the basics, playing the violin became a source of relaxation and joy. Through the numerous pieces that my orchestra played throughout elementary and middle school, I loved the practice. Through high school, in addition to practicing the violin I have had the opportunity to make lifelong friendships with other string players and band members. An essential aspect of conveying a song's tone is practicing each component of the piece, from the length and pressure of each bow stroke to vibrato on the strings. Over time, this affinity for details transcended music and began to manifest in other aspects of my life. To grasp difficult concepts in the classroom, I needed to possess a comprehensive understanding of each individual topic, as well as all of the basics. Striving to improve my skills on the violin has also taught me that some things take more than a day to accomplish. Although it may not be possible for me to master a piece in one practice session, with consistent and unyielding effort I am able to measure significant increases in my performance.
80
