Stepping Stones

May 1, 2007 at 4:14 PM

For those of you who have nothing better to do than read the mopings of a teenage girl in Florida, you probably read my last blog detailing my imminent failure at the local competition and how I failed miserably, etc.

I am pleased to say that I have won a top award from them.

My brother, who also competed, received his letter one day, and, as I expected, there was no letter for me in the mail. Half an hour later, our next-door-neighbor brought over a half-opened letter from the music club, with my name on it and the incorrect address 8463 rather than 8483 written on it. I was shocked to find that all three judges had given me all tens (one gave me one nine) on both of my pieces and asked me to play the Lalo that I had (in my mind) mangled at the winners' recital this Saturday. I won't know until then what I actually won, but I really don't care and I'm very pleased that, even on a bad day, I managed to play well enough to impress the judges.

Reading Kelsey's blog along with this little episode has reminded me not to let the little failures along the way deter one from pursuing ultimate goals. Things may look black, or even be black, but a few setbacks won't kill anybody. We, as musicians, will probably never enjoy a cushy, luxurious life, and we will always have to deal with disappointments and setbacks. The key is not to let those weight us down. When we put our best foot forward and stand tall to take the consequences, come what may, we are using our failures as stepping stones to success.

From Terez Mertes
Posted on May 1, 2007 at 4:31 PM

Oooh, I LOVE reading stories like this. They make me smile for the rest of the day. Big congrats to you! : )

From Karin Lin
Posted on May 1, 2007 at 4:37 PM

Good for you, Natasha! Your attitude is an inspiration. Is there something about playing the violin that makes teenage girls mature beyond their years? You, Sydney, Maura...I know people ten years older than you guys who don't have that kind of wisdom. :)

From Yixi Zhang
Posted on May 1, 2007 at 7:59 PM

Natasha, good for you and congratulations! To be sucessful means you are always able to quickly get up each time you are knocked down.

From Julie C.
Posted on May 1, 2007 at 10:44 PM

Your last paragraph is very inspirational to a poor college student like me who's currently failing all of her classes. :)

From Maura Gerety
Posted on May 1, 2007 at 11:57 PM

Nice! I knew things weren't as dismal as you thought. :)

From Albert Justice
Posted on May 2, 2007 at 1:49 AM

Hey! Congratulations. Violin like no other instrument is a wonderfully cruel endeavor that takes years of patience and persistence unless one just wants to fiddle(not dissing fiddle here)....

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on May 2, 2007 at 4:52 AM

Congratulations on impressing the judges and on your wisdom about how to handle failures, setbacks, and successes. I'll try to follow your advice in my own life.

William Starr, a great violin teacher trained by Suzuki, compared learning to play the violin with learning to walk. Toddlers keep trying, falling, and crying, but they are persistent. After many failures, they learn to do it correctly.

From Kelsey Z.
Posted on May 6, 2007 at 4:27 AM

Congrats, Natasha!!!! :D

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Stepping Stones

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