I never had a chance to play any musical instrument. But it always fascinated me when I went to Carnatic music concerts. As a child I had constant exposure to music, and though not proficient in music I developed an interest to listen and appreciate the art.
It’s never late to begin learning one, I understood eventually. When there was an opportunity for my daughter to practise an instrument, I couldn’t resist it. But choosing an instrument to learn was a huge task when faced with several alternatives.
In her school, they have an option to attend music lessons, which span 45 minutes either during school hours or post-school. The school authorities strongly encourage having the lessons during school hours. During the day, when the other subjects like maths and science are being learnt, the children are also taught an instrument.
Music can have a great influence and it engages multiple areas of our brain, according to scientific research. Brain is also a muscle and these challenging exercises can strengthen the brain’s abilities and facilitate growth. Playing an instrument is indeed compared to a full-body workout.
Given that she was just seven, we didn’t expect her choice to be based on any fact other than the instrument’s popularity among her friends. She chose to play the piano, the classes for which she got enrolled. It was fascinating to see her play to various tunes taught at school, and also those she managed to play herself.
Within a few months, she played Jana gana mana ... and Sa re ga, ma, pa ... She taught herself and made us believe she was nearing perfection. We pretended as though they were flawless, in order to encourage her to persist with the attempt.
When school started the next year and the same question popped up again, she came to me and said she loved the violin more than the piano and wished to try that. There were incessant dialogues over the advantages of violin as an instrument over the piano. She claimed how easy it would be to carry everywhere. We gave in and enrolled her for the violin and got her the instrument. She hasn’t parted with it since the time we got it for her.
One day she announced with delight, ‘I told you, I made the right choice. My violin teacher told me I was born to play the violin!’
That was definitely a big statement to make, and quite an appealing one too for her parents. I probed that. She mentioned how the teacher had measured the length of her hand while she adjusted her posture to hold the violin between her chin and neck. The teacher had sensed she had the correct arm length and posture suited to play the violin — which is why she remarked that her arms were just perfect for the violin.
A simple statement made such a huge difference to her and I can say for sure that this will be etched in her mind forever. For now, she believes this comes naturally to her and she is in this world to spread the glory of the violin and that she will continue playing it forever. Experiences give life to our beliefs and instils faith.
We could feel the sense of motivation creeping in, and how that single sentence changed the way a child perceives and believes. Motivation is a key factor; kindled in the right manner, it can have a wonderful effect.
I am strongly motivated by the benefits of learning an instrument. It is believed to improve coordination, mathematical skills and perseverance. And the joy of being able to successfully play something learnt creates a sense of achievement.
On a lighter note, I expect she will stick to learning the violin and not come up with another option. I could always quote the same statement hoping to motivate her.
