Violin Days

The Not So Subtle Shriek

Raise your hands to the roof!

The fact is, give a music teacher a half hour a week with a dozen fourth graders, many of whom don’t actually practice at home, and the result is going to be, well, you all know exactly what that sounds like.

These were my thoughts last week as I attending Little Bean’s winter strings concert at her school. Just a couple dozen kids with a wide, wide variety of ability and skills burning through some old standards in a school gym watched by a handful of sleepy parents who had to rearrange their mid-morning schedules to be there.

We don’t talk too much about Little Bean’s violin musicianship in these pages, mainly I think because she’s not as invested in that particular instrument as she is in piano. She likes it, but mainly I think she just likes playing in strings with friends.

Anyway, I was three rows back as the string band ripped into a face melting version of Hot Cross Buns, the violins seeming to tear at the literal seams under the stain of the ten year olds!

Mice scattering. Cobwebs dislodged. The very fabric of time itself coming undone under those roaring screeches.

And then something happened. I raised my phone and zoomed in on Little Bean and somehow she saw me. She raised her bow in the air, triumphant. And I thought, huh, I guess this is worth it.

She raised her arm and smiled and - to me - for just the briefest of moments, she was Bach. She was Perlman. Heck, she was Lindsey Sterling!

Here’s the Smyth Road School Strings Band performing Hot Cross Buns for your enjoyment!

I realized that amidst the absolutely ear-shattering squeal of abused violin strings, the whole point of this endeavour was for her to have fun. To learn a new skill. To understand music, like you’d understand another language.

My little girl, somehow, despite the fact that I am utterly devoid of musical talent, can play several instruments. How did this happen?

The concert finished and we all went up to congratulate the teachers and the kids, and she came running up and gave me a hug. Like, right there, she hugged me in front of all her friends. Wow.

“Here daddy, can you take the violin home for me?”

‘Sure baby,” and she was off, heading back to class with her giggling friends.

Music and her smile and hugs. Worth it all.