A literal dream came true. I do not remember a time in my life when I have not admired the great violinists, L. Subramaniam, T.N Krishnan, Nandini Shankar, and many more. My whole life I have been a creative person, visual arts is one of my greatest passions although, I have always had my fair share of motivation to learn something in musical arts. I knew CAS was the perfect opportunity to learn the one instrument that is known for its beauty and complexity. I was thrilled and at the same moment reluctant to learn the violin. As a beginner to the music field violin is an extremely complicated instrument however, I went along with it.
LO1
Not one day into the violin session and, I already felt as if it’s not my cup of tea. The very first session was on how to hold the violin and bow with the theoretical understanding of parts on the violin. I had to buy new tools for the instrument so that I could hold the violin without making an error. I started to realize that as a beginner violinist, I was very easily able to replicate my teacher however due to my spontaneous nature, it was difficult to follow through without frustration. One of my major strengths in the process of learning violin was my motivation. I am a person who loves easy learning and violin was not. However, I was also struggling to remember the basic notes of the violin.
LO2
Looking back at the process of learning from the very beginning, I was challenged in multiple ways. Initially, it was difficult to be consistent with sessions as I was learning through online means. I was sometimes unable to find the time in the day to practice or just revise, and this led to forgetting what I learned previously. Moreover, during the practice sessions that I self-led were not as helpful as I wanted them to be. I play to remember what I’ve learned but without physical class, it’s difficult to improve when you aren’t aware of the mistake. I’ve never done anything like this before. Eventually, with practice, I came around, and with a better play, I received the motivation to keep going further.
LO4
One of the reasons I was able to improve and complete this CAS experience was through consistency. It was difficult to play every day so I let myself choose any 4 days a week so that I don’t lose my rhythm and forget what has been taught. Personally, I struggled with commitment but eventually with my family’s constant support and encouragement I kept going.
Overall my journey for learning violin was challenging and I believe it could have been much smoother if I had attended physical sessions however due to the pandemic it wasn’t an option. Moreover, from this new skill I developed a few of the learner profile attributes such as balanced, this CAS experience allowed me to work on my creative aspect of life along with physical and intellectual, in addition I also started to become more reflective towards my learnings and experiences. It allowed me to reach great lengths by being able to recognize my strengths and limitations. To conclude on a good note, I wish to continue learning the violin as it has helped me develop discipline along with new skills.
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