What music means to me
I was particularly struck by a story Yehudi Menuhin, the world-famous violinist, tells which illustrates clearly how much music meant to him even as a very young boy. From the early age of three, his parents would bring him to attend concerts in New York. He was so mesmerized by the playing of first violinist Louis Persinger, that he asked his parents for a violin for his fourth birthday. He was given a violin by a family friend, but it was a toy violin which was made of metal and had metal strings. Yehudi recalls his angry reaction: "I burst into sobs, threw it on the ground and would have nothing to do with it." Thinking aobut his childhood reaction, Yehudi explains that it was because even then, "I did know instinctively that to play was to be" (paraphrased from The Call by Os Guinness). I think for all of you young musicians, you can probably identify with Yehudi Menuhin when he says, "to play was to be." While of course you do everyday things like everyone else, being able to perform on your instrument is very much a central part of your life. For many of us who are not musicians, we may listen to music to relax, or to soothe our hurt or frustrated feelings, or simply for pleasure. But for you, music means much more than that. So do visit each other's blogs to read what your friends have shared on what music means to them, and do take the effort to share your thoughts with them too by leaving a comment on their blogs. Have fun!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
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