How Does The Viola Express Creativity

I now realise that the Arts, including music, creates opportunities to engage, inspire and enrich our lives. Music making and responding can challenge, provoke responses and enrich our knowledge and understanding of ourselves, our communities and the world.

Like almost every other 3rd grader in my elementary school, when the enrichment program came to talk about joining the orchestra and band, I was fascinated. I admired the kids, not much older than me, who could play their instruments flawlessly and effortlessly. Immediately I knew that orchestra was for me, and I rushed home with a paper in hand begging my mom to let me take lessons at my school. Originally, I wanted to play the cello and pleaded with my mom to let me play one; I loved the deep, rich sounds of the strings. Instead, my mom convinced me to play the violin, a less expensive instrument and much easier to carry around than a cello.

I have always had a musical talent, and I was over-joyed when my parents decided to sign me up for piano lessons. When I was younger, I just liked playing the songs my teacher assigned me. When I was older, however, I began to see music in a different light. Playing other musicians' songs has given me a glimpse of how other people view the world. When a musician composes a song, a piece of his heart goes into it. When I play their songs, I see a hint of what is in their soul. This has had me reflect on how I view the world. When I play the songs for an audience, they are able to feel a little of what the artist and I are

In the first grade, I picked up a clarinet. It was my sister’s, collecting dust while waiting for me to play it. From the moment I produced my first sound, an ear-piercing squeal that frightened my dog, the path of my life took a turn for the better. I began teaching myself for the following three years, along with learning from my sister how to properly play the beautiful instrument. The music pushed me out of my comfort zone: concerts that forced me onstage, tests that made me play difficult songs, and teachers that pushed me to be an exceptional player. From the shy elementary school student I used to be to the outgoing band member I take joy in being today, music has shaped my everyday life.

Music, in all its complexity can be seen as a living, breathing mechanism that has the ability to sink deep down into one’s soul and create feelings of awe, excitement and wonder. Music speaks to and connects people of all cultures, backgrounds and ideologies, creating a common bond between various members of the human species. When listening to a beautifully composed piece of music, I myself cannot help but feel connected to the instruments, the artists and the composer. It has been my experience that music not only helps me learn, but also helps me grow.

Many times I have struggled to express myself. A plethora of ideas would be trapped inside my head. Sometimes I would be at a loss of words and couldn’t explain my thoughts verbally or on paper. No matter how much effort I put in, my words wandered off and I could find no method of portraying my emotions. After many failed attempts, I finally found something that could express what I feel and what I want others to feel. It’s music. Performance poet, Sekou Sundiata, is able to clearly express himself in a way where others can understand him by incorporating poetry with music. Both Sundiata and I were searching for a way to share our life experiences in a creative yet understandable format; we accomplished that through music.

Some people are better with words; others work through art and make an impact with their actions and creations. I may not be the best at expressing myself verbally, but I consider myself a great writer. Writing is one of the few ways I am able to reach inside my soul; I can ultimately capture my thoughts and emotions with a simple pencil and paper. Sometimes I get lucky and profound statements sneak past this step and out of my mouth, but that happens on rare occasion, so instead I write. The second way I am able to release my emotions is through my saxophone, my music, my soloing. Jazz. This brings us full circle. Jazz Band. What’s so special, what’s so great? To the untrained eye, nothing, it is just another band, but there is so much more

Besides marching band, music in general is one of the most substantial parts of my life. It has taught me to be an overall more creative and inventive person. It has fueled my mind to be quicker and better.

All eyes were always on Madison. Thus, I often felt alone. In those moments of solitary, I turned to music. As a sixth grader who was struggling both at home and at school, music was my only friend. I fell in love with the french horn the moment I heard it be played in The Rolling Stone's song You Can't Always Get What You Want. I began playing in the school band and sooner rather than later, my entire life was surrounded by music. I would sit on the computer for hours researching genres ranging from 30 Seconds to Mars to Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue. I knew, that moment in sixth grade, was the beginning of a life long affair with my only true love, music. I made it into the Governor's School for the Arts in my freshman year of high school. It was there were I began developing my skill and love into bigger and better things. I transitioned from playing grade one band music to world renowned symphonies. For some students, the music was just music but for me a piece of music can completely alter my outlook on life. A piece of music can reach deep inside of me and clasp onto my deepest of fears and most passionate loves. It floats them

Bill Viola has an extraordinary collection of film art. He has gone beyond the range of the camera medium and expresses emotion. The camera allows to capture a single moment in real life, Viola is aware of this, and uses it to the full advantage. When he fell into the lake as a child, he analyzed it when he was older and realized there’s “more to the surface of life and the real world is underneath”. This breakthrough helped an abundance of his artwork. He uses different angles and shots to capture something that would not be normally seen in our everyday lives. In “Five Angels for the Millennium” he captures slow motion underwater shots of people swimming and diving. The result is a beautiful and serene mood of his artwork. The shot of someone

Many of my activities are musically inclined. I have played the oboe since the 6th grade and it has greatly impacted the person that I am today. Being a musician has instilled discipline, leadership, and confidence within me. While the public only sees our final product, underneath the 10-30 minute performance is hours upon hours of dedication and practice.

Sound is an expression. Sound is what enables music and the ability to hear is what allows me to experience that. I know this is something that I can never take for granted. Music is art that entertains and I will continue spending the rest of my life devoted to that. This idea was discovered when I played the drums for the first time. Fifteen years went by where all the instruments consumed me. Now, at twenty, after three years of working and pursuing an undesired degree, while marching my way through adversity, I see again how I cannot lose my passion for art and music.

Nonetheless, the piano has always been my favorite instrument and that is where I do my best work. Composing and playing music allows me to entertain others but more importantly, express myself and share my experiences with others through a universal language: music. My fingers are conduits from my heart to my instruments and the pieces I create are an extension of the stories I have to tell. I can communicate diverse experiences and complex emotions through harmonies and melodies reverberating through the wooden casing of a

Because I was putting on a mask over myself, my actual self became very lonely and needy of self-love. Though I had a couple friends and lived a fairly normal life during fourth grade and eighth grade but I was never happy. Then one day, In the middle of eighth grade, I was on youtube and I found a video of a woman named Lindsey Stirling who played the violin. In the video, she explained how she used to be very depressed and suffered from anorexia. She talked about how music cured her illness, and she expressed her emotions and her thoughts through her playing. Just by hearing her play her instrument, you could just feel all the emotions and all the things she went through. This really inspired me, since I play the violin as well and I decided to start improving my skills on the violin so that I too could learn to live healthily again. It took me a while, but through all the hard work, I managed to become 2nd best in my orchestra. I honestly didn't realize that the mask I’d been putting on was wearing off slowly as I worked to improve. From expressing my thoughts through music, I learned how to live again healthily, how to love myself, and how to believe in

To begin, favorite activity to do is soccer. Every year in the fall, I go to a soccer organization. When I first started soccer, I didn’t want to do it because I felt like I wouldn’t do as good as the others. When I showed up for the first practice, I realized that i just had to try my best. As the season passed, I started to get more confidence and found that I started to really enjoy it. I have been doing this for three years now and I hope to continue this for many years to come.