Opus 1 Music Studio is thrilled to present a Q&A with one of our outstanding violin students, Bobby!
Bobby started taking violin lessons two years ago when he wanted to be the best violinist among his group of friends. Initially, it was just a friendly competition, but it quickly became his favorite hobby. He enjoys playing and listening to classical violin music, with Mozart being his favorite composer. He also enjoys being part of his school orchestra. For more information about Bobby and his musical journey, check out the full Q&A below!
How long have you been taking violin lessons, and what inspired you to take lessons?
I've been a student of Teacher Jingwen’s for over 2 years. I started taking lessons because I wanted to be better than my friends in the school orchestra. I had played for a year before I started taking lessons at Opus 1.
What do you remember about first coming to Opus 1? Do you have any memories that stick out to you?
In my first lesson, my teacher was able to help me with my technique. At first, she basically said I was doing almost everything wrong, but then she started correcting the problems and helping me. I became a better violinist. She helped me improve a lot.
How would you describe yourself in general, and how would you describe yourself as a violin student?
I think I'm a pretty fast learner. That's what my teacher says, and she also says I'm too serious sometimes. She reminds me to have fun, and tells me to remember to smile when I play. Even though I am serious, I do have fun with the violin.
What other hobbies are you involved in, and do you find it challenging to find time to practice violin?
I play a lot of sports. I play soccer, flag football and volleyball. Violin does not seem like a chore, or homework to me like other things do. I practice all the time for fun.
What's been your biggest accomplishment in studying violin so far that you are most proud of?
When I first saw the piece that I'm working on right now, J.B Accolay’s Violin Concerto in A minor, I thought to myself “That's way too hard. I can never play that.” Now, I can play it without making any mistakes, and it is the thing I am most proud of.
How has studying with Teacher Jingwen helped you achieve your goals as a violinist?
Since learning from her, I have become one of the best violinists in my Jr. High school Orchestra. She helped me get better at vibrato. Learning that took a while, a lot longer than anything else I have learned. She gave me finger exercises, and I didn’t give up. I finally got it down.
What lessons have you learned through your musical studies that you can apply to other areas of your life? Maybe to something that's not necessarily music related?
I think perseverance. If you play in a piece and you don't really get it right the first time, you have to keep practicing to get it right. That helps a lot throughout my life, with homework and sports too.
What advice would you give to other people trying to learn to play an instrument? Maybe they feel scared or they can't do it or it's too hard. What would you tell them?
I'd probably tell them not to quit if you don't see any results in the first couple of days because learning instruments is really hard, and it doesn't happen overnight. I try to practice every day, maybe five or six times a week. It takes really hard work, and patience.