Why Do You Play??

The sunray reached the way through the big window and played on the marble floor. It caressed with its light that cold surface, shiny in itself, like a frozen lake on which a skater makes his pirouettes over and over again. Perfect pirouettes and movements, accompanied by the sounds of heavenly music... hmm, yes, it was Mozart, I remember well.

You know, Mozart’s music is a mystery to me to this day, as other composers also wrote their works in the style of classicism, used the same composing techniques, and had perhaps the same role models... yet the harmony you feel when you listen to Mozart's music is so simple but so perfect. It is a unique harmony, heavenly indeed. Clean, transparent, each note is exactly in its place in height and speed where it should be, nothing could be imagined differently and better than this genius has already written.

Cradled by that sound of Mozart Concerto in G that was reaching my hearing, still watching the dance of that sunbeam that moved slightly by a few centimetres, I felt good. Happy to be able to attend that moment, not realizing that in just a few days all activities of this type will be just a thing of the past. March of twenty-twenty was still starting to count its days. Not realizing either that the music will stay in the past tense for that moment too, as the reaction to one hand movement, the violin and piano stopped providing us music. Even the sunray seemed to fade away a bit, in the uncertainty of the moment.

His hand slowly dropped, and silence reigned. Our eyes were suddenly on him, waiting for a reaction, and the girl with the violin in her hand felt easier that no one was looking at her anymore. Relief, but only until the second he spoke.

-What is your name and how old are you?

-E...

-Can you repeat, I didn't hear you.

-Emma...and I am 17...

-I see. Oh, what young and playing this Concerto, I thought you were a student from the University. But anyway, why do you play the violin? Why, if one day you decide to do more music studies, why would you do that?

Silence in the hall. Just a seemingly easy question took an eternity to respond to. Emma was waiting a bit but finally said something.

-I like the sound of music.

-Well, I bet everyone in this room likes the sound of music, the listeners would not be here if not. But that is not a reason to play. There has to be something more, Emma. You can not dedicate your life to something just because you like to sound of it. Please think about that.

Emma seemed to be smaller and smaller, trying to hide from the attention and views that waited for the answer. I wanted to entertain myself with the light dance on the marble floor, to be at least one pair of eyes less looking at her. Unfortunately, the sun decided to move further from the whole situation and leave us to concentrate on this music masterclass. The prestigious violin professor finally spoke and helped the young girl.

-Music is a medium to speak to others. If you are shy, and you don't like to talk, you have to express yourself in other ways. Do you like the sound of music? Ok, let you express your feelings and thoughts through it then. Don't keep your thoughts to yourself, share them. Show them by playing, give your love to those played notes, don't just play them pale. Transmit! Stand firmly behind your ideas a play music, not just notes!

The masterclass continued in the form it is usually realized, explaining the way of playing the passages, giving great instructions on dynamics, music form analysis and hints on how to achieve better control over the bow and sound. However, we all knew that that young girl learned a more valuable lesson than any technique advice she got in that hour. Speak through your music and transmit.

Remembering that nice violin masterclass of a prestigious violin professor whose name will not be revealed now, I decided to grab some Mozart scores and play music. Nor perfectly, there are some slips but doesn't matter, I hope. One of his Sonatas, a very famous one, called also Sonata Facile, that would be "Easy Sonata". So, it is not very difficult but the title is definitely misleading. It is not so easy that you can see it and play just like that.

Final question!

What would you respond in such a situation when the teacher asked the young student why does she play? Whatever your profession is, why have you chosen to study for it? Was it a good decision, was it your choice, and would you change now that?

P.S. I would like to clarify that the name of the violinist girl is not real, but that the professor will maybe visit again this music-writing corner. We will see.. If you are interested in his next teaching session, visit sometimes this community and find out has he came back :)