Lessons from a Viola

Hey readers, Mimi here! I thought I'd share a school assignment with you today. We had to write in 300-500 words (mine is 470) one thing we believed in, based on the I Believe essays known around the world, done by celebrities and high school students alike. Mine's about viola, yes- but it's REALLY about being yourself and learning more about life than just the notes on the page. Drop me a line, tell me if it's worth presenting to the class! Enjoy, and have a nice day :)

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I believe in the power of playing the viola. At my kindergarten through eighth grade school, students could choose to take a strings class starting in fourth grade or beginning band in fifth. Nearing the end of my third grade school year, my father took me to one of the school’s concerts, letting me hear both groups and choose an instrument should I want to play. Right from the start, I knew I wanted to play the viola, even when my dad mistakenly pointed out the cello when I asked him which one it was. Why did I want to play the viola?

The answer is fairly simple: I wanted to be unique. In school as well as the rest of the world, violinists are far more common than violists, often because, like my father, parents and students aren’t aware such a thing as a ‘viola’ exists. The viola is a string instrument, held and played similarly to a violin, but the strings are pitched deeper and the body of the viola is often significantly larger than that of a full-size violin. Violists are also unique in that we read music in alto clef- the only instrumentalists to do so out of both band and orchestra. In fact, in a professional symphony, there are two full sections of violinists, and only one viola section. Playing a more rare instrument, however, can be a blessing. There’s not as much competition! It’s often easier to be hired to play viola than the more popular instruments of violin or cello.

That’s not to say that playing viola is easy. I did choose to start in fourth grade, and I’ve steadily improved by nothing but determination and hard work over the past seven years. My parents finally bought my viola in March, after renting for years, and I know it’s a gift I’ll treasure the rest of my life. The hard work really paid off last year when I was first chair in Mid-State, therefore qualifying to play at All-State. And this past June I auditioned for and was selected to attend the Governor's School for the Arts. I had to work hard and long to perfect my vibrato, three octave scales, and playing in fifth position, and although I faced fewer opponents than the violinists, I still had to fight to get my seat against people more talented than I or the people who could afford private lessons.

These experiences, however, have taught me more than how to struggle through Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance. Through my playing, I’ve learned how to persevere in practicing, continue after failure, make the show go on, and make friends with even the most sour stand partners. I believe that learning to play an instrument teaches one more than music, because that’s what the viola has done for me.

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This has been another unscheduled and probably unexpected post of Writing with Mimi, a blog about fandoms and creative writing and other random nonsense. If you enjoyed it, please tell Mimi. If you hated it, please tell Mimi. And if you have nothing to say, well, make something up about a pie or a fez or something of equal value and tell Mimi about that. Today's Awesome Thing: Mimi passed her driver's license road test with a perfect score. Thank you for reading!

The Clock Wars

Hey everyone! Nice to post again, it's been a while. Enjoy today's post, and if you have questions, opinions, suggestions, or just want to chat, stop by the Contact Mimi page and drop me a line :) Have a great day!

Wake up. It's probably about 6:30, although it might be an hour before or after that. It's time for you to get to school that starts at 8:00 sharp, and if you're late, you're penalized. Between now and then, you must get dressed in socially acceptable clothes, probably eat something, and ride or walk to school somehow. 

It's 8:00. You have to go to anywhere from four to seven classes, with a short break to choke down your lunch. 

It's 3:30. You have to drive, ride, or walk home, say it's 4:00 now. You have three hours before dinner with your family. You must do an essay for two classes, a worksheet for three others, twenty-five math problems, and read seven chapters by tomorrow. Oh, and you play an instrument. If you don't practice at least an hour every day, your grade suffers for it. 

Eat dinner with your family now, don't keep the waiting. It takes at least an hour. Your laundry is not in the hamper, and the dishes are piling up, and the trash hasn't been taken out, and your homework is still unfinished.

And your new job at that place down the street starts tomorrow. Don't be late. And don't forget to go to sports team practice, the coach really hated that you were sick last week.

It's midnight. You're done. But all work and no play is dull... right?

It's 2:00 in the morning. You've fallen asleep three times. Even Tumblr just isn't fun when you can hardly see the screen. You fall into bed an hour or two later.

Wake up.

Sound familiar? It probably does. Teenagers everywhere complain about the workload and stress and complications of working social life, grades, money, and other activities into a mere twenty-four hours. It's a war against the clock (yes, now all of you gasp and point to the title, well done). How does creative writing have a place? Well, creative writing can be done in a myriad of ways, so I can't give you an easy answer or a TARDIS or a time-turner. The many ways to write is why there are styles, genres, and stories in the first place. One of the differences is in the time of writing, which I like to separate into two main categories, 'Block' writing and 'Spot' writing.

'Block' writing is sitting down at your keyboard or your notebook and taking a deep breath, then going at your project for an hour or two hours or longer. You don't do much else- maybe check your texts, or grab a snack once, but it's focused on the writing and the writing alone. That 'block' of time (gasp at the name, yes) is solely dedicated to writing. I like the block method because it's a good way to get your writing to flow, or spend time editing, or just get those next chapters done. Mostly, I use this method in the summer, on the weekends, or during long road trips. It's how most (if not all) professional writers create books, and it's what many people consider the only way of spending time writing.

'Spot' writing is a way not everyone considers. 'Spot' writing is pulling out your notebook or smartphone to make whatever progress you can in a very small amount of time. You may just jot down a dialogue, or describe only one character, or scribble out a plot idea for later. These little 'spots' of time (title again, gasp away) are small windows of opportunity! I carry my smartphone with me just about all the time, and it has a Google docs app. That means I can access my projects and work on them anywhere. It may be on the bus ride home, or during study hall, or as a reward after I finish some of my homework, but spot writing can be very productive too! You may reword that one frustrating sentence, or finish a scene with a witty line you overheard, or just keep going where you left off. A lot can be accomplished in just a few short minutes if you utilize it with writing instead of just staring at a wall.

So that's how you beat the clock and win the war! MAKE time for writing, in the little crevices of time in which nothing else can be done productively. It's hard, I won't lie- but it's worth it. 

As always, the best of wishes toward you and your writing projects!

~Mimi

This has been another unscheduled and unexpected post of Writing with Mimi, a blog about fandoms and creative writing and other random nonsense. If you enjoyed it, please tell Mimi. If you hated it, please tell Mimi. And if you have nothing to say, well, make something up about a pie or a fez or something of equal value and tell Mimi about that. Today's Awesome Thing: One of the best fangirl feels is watching a TV show, and finding an actor you know from another TV show. Like Leverage and Supernatural, as I discovered this week. Thank you for reading!