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Web Journal Post: 1


WEB JOURNAL POST: WEEK 1
By: Lauren Vaifoou


My cousins and I after my orchestra performance
at the Showare Center in Kent, WA 2010.
(I am on the far right, holding my violin case)
My background in music most extensively comes from my time playing the violin. I began in the fifth grade at my elementary school. In my school district students chose from either band, percussion instruments, or orchestra, string instruments. Though many of my friends chose band, I gravitated towards orchestra. My instrument of choice was the violin. It had the highest notes which I appreciated as well as, it was the easiest to transport back and forth from practices. I never tried a different instrument throughout my orchestra career. I played the violin from fifth grade up until my junior year of high school. Playing the violin provided me with many opportunities to perform in front of large audiences and go on field trips to watch other orchestras perform. I also was often first and second chair throughout the years which reaffirmed my love for playing the violin. Unfortunately, other academic obligations in high school came between me and my orchestra pursuit.

 The experience I gained from learning the violin from a young age to performing at a high school level helped me academically. I strongly believe that my ability to read sheet music translated directly into my high level math performance. The entire process of reading sheet music and translating it into hand movements was a skill I am forever grateful for. After playing the violin for so many years, I was able to identify notes and rhythms purely by listening. Listening to music is great but being able to create music yourself and isolate certain aspects is truly an underrated skill. Though I have not picked up a violin since I was 16, I do hope to relearn it some day. My current musical enjoyment takes place through my headphones or various hang outs with friends. I listen to music daily but do not indulge as much as other people I know. In the car I tend to lean towards listening to the news or a good podcast. However, when I am at the gym I find it 100% necessary to have a good playlist to better complete my workout. Music can give me the ability to encourage myself and uplift my attitude during a tough workout.

 In this class, I hope to expand my knowledge of different genres and music altogether. I feel I once had a very sophisticated outlook on music but have lost that appreciation, and hope to gain it back through this class. By attending concerts of musical background that I am unfamiliar with, it will help me gain more appreciation for other arts.

 One fear for the class I have is that I will have a hard time balancing attending concerts. I have a full-time class schedule and work two jobs, one in Bellevue and one in Kent. I also live in Kent and am only in Tacoma for classes. I realize I will more than likely have to do my own research to find concerts closer to me. Or ones that align with my schedule better. Overall I hope to be able to attend mostly concerts that were provided to us through the class. There seems to be a wide variety of different musical genres that I would not normally go for which is exciting.

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