I was four years old when I started violin, and I still remember why
I started it, a slight reason. I went to my friend's violin lesson. If
I hadn't gone, I wouldn't be playing the violin. And this was the beginning
of a road which led me to a certain violin. I've used several kinds of
violins but they were all made by machines and were new. These weren't
good because the sound of a violin depends on how much the violin maker
puts his heart into it and how long it has been used with heart.
When I was sixteen years old my parents thought it was time for me to
get a good violin. They bought me a rose-colored violin which was handmade
in Paris. It was made in the early 1950s and had gone through many people's
hands. But the main reason why this violin is important to me is that
it gives me many feelings.
Last year when I was in twelfth grade, it was a hard time for me because
of the entrance exam to go to college. I was always thinking about my
grade and what might happen if I failed. One day when I was looking for
a reference book I found a music book. It reminded me of my memories of
playing the violin, and it struck me to play again. It was after an interval
of more than half a year, but by playing it I noticed two things.
One was a feeling of how much I liked to play the violin I had forgotten
for months. The second was it didn't make me worry about the future while
I was playing the violin. This helped my feelings toward the examination
get lighter.
Many feelings go though this rose colored violin. It makes me forget
unpleasant things. My feelings come out from the violin when I'm playing
it. When I'm angry, I can't play the violin well, and it makes me notice
that I should calm down. When I'm happy, the happiness doubles.
Only two years have passed since I started to use this violin, but it
has given me thousands of feelings and I have learned many things from
it. Also it was and is going to be my best partner through music. My violin
is a music box filled with my feelings.
by Kaori Azami
