April 2010

The prodigal returns...

April 7, 2010 11:32

She said "Where ya been?" I said "No place special"
She said "You look different" I said "Well I guess"
She said "You been gone" I said "That's only natural"
She said "You gonna stay ?" I said "If you want me to. Yes! "

Those are some lines from Isis by Bob Dylan. And I feel that they sum up almost perfectly how I feel about my return to the violin.

It was about 32 years ago. Count the days - where did that time go? For one reason or another: teenage apathy, rebellion, whatever, I laid down the violin, never to return. Until now.

Over the years I have heard her siren voice call to me in various places. From the panpipe band on the streets of Manchester to the more formal classical recordings coming out of the radio. Always with the power to move, to draw a tear.

One night on eBay for no particular reason I strayed from my usual computer hardware onto the musical instrument section where for £20 I won my very own Violin Shaped Object. Before commiting a real sum of money I needed to see if the feeling was still mutual on both sides.

The VSO arrived. I approached it with trepidation. Would I remember how to hold it, what to do. Awkward at first. Nervous. Sweating. The noises she makes tell me that she won't easily forgive me for our time apart. But... now and then, there is a glimmer. A hint of how good things might be.

I start lessons with a teacher next Monday.

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