Of Instruments and Practices

Hello Readers,

Today I had the pleasure of sitting in on a couple different music class practices at Lee University. It was an amazing experience. Just the rawness of it. It was almost more ‘real’ in a sense then other performances I’ve heard. It was fun and loud and you could feel how much they loved it. I was the only listener in the room, and they weren’t preforming for performance’s sake, but because they loved it.

Or maybe that was just my impression of it. Whatever the case, it was beautiful.

If I was asked to pick a favorite instrument, I’d have to say the violin (I’m a little biased though, as one of my characters plays it) followed by the cello. I love the sound of it. But then when they all sang out together into the world, it was breathtaking.

Time slows when music plays, reality is but a white noise, the present a figment of our imagination. Present, past, and future all blur together as the tempo pick up and galaxies swirl into blurred colors.

The drum keeps a steady beat, reminded the violins not to veer off down the lovely rabbit trails they long to explore. The trumpets sing joyously while the bass hums deeply in the background. The tuba shouts as the cellos play a melancholy balance. The violins whinny off again like wild horses and then slowly come back down, playing the melody.

The choir sings, competing with the instruments for sounds. The conductor waves his hands, pointing his baton in a language that only the musicians understand. He seems to be in a trance, and the rest of the musicians with him, watching the baton wave in that secret language known only to musicians.

It’s beautiful.

I can’t help but feel a tiny bit envious as I watch their fingers play in a manner that takes years of practice to master.

~Rubix