When I first learned to play I was in kindergarten but I remember it well. My mom and I would go down to a big red barn; take lessons from a guy who would tell me to not squish the minnie mouse on the neck of the violin and keep the bow over the f holes. Since I was young I never questioned what he told me. I thought he was in charge and just went with it. In 4th grade I stopped practicing and my mom didn't want to pay for lessons anymore. I went to a school without a orchestra program and didn't see a point in it.
The journey continues when in 7th grade; I switched to a school where the arts were very prominent. Considering I hadn't played in a while I didn't want to be embarrassed by my lack of skill. After a year though when I learned that all of my friends were in orchestra I decided to play again. I told my mom I wanted to take lessons and as you can imagine she was ecstatic. I called a private teacher and started lessons with her the summer before my 8th grade year.
Her name is Sunny but don't be deceived by her name. She was the hardest teacher I've had in my life. When I did something wrong or didn't practice she yelled at me and did not make me feel the best. Now, I'm in the top orchestra in my school and in the first violins. Without her teaching and my wanting to learn I would never be where I am now.
I had to re learn my skills and how to practice to become a better player. I learned where the notes were and how they sounded. The amount of things I have learned about the violin, classical music, and myself are immeasurable and I would never replace them. By having a teacher that was hard on me I strived to be better and work hard and it payed of.
I've gained many more friends, including international ones, and learned to appreciate hard work. I think by learning to play the violin I learned more about myself.