Wednesday, August 31, 2016

My First Performance?

Ready for a good laugh?

In 2009 I took violin lessons for 6 months. I didn't work that hard at it, but enjoyed it a lot and my teacher said I have natural talent.

While I was in the US I got a violin. After I got back to Honduras, I sat down for the first time in seven years and played. It was great! For eleven days I've played every day for an hour or two. I am surprised at my self discipline, although it's less about self discipline and more that I really love to play!

Some days I'm surprised at how quickly I'm improving. Other days, like today, I am reminded that I am still a squeaky beginner. And finding the right notes is really hard on a violin.

Last week I posted a video of myself playing the violin on Facebook. The video was not supposed to be about my playing. It was about how Jetty, my cat, was interrupting my practice. She  kept climbing onto my shoulder, headbutting me and the violin. (It think my playing may have been causing her physical pain.)

Since then I've gotten serious complements on my playing. I don't play well. I'm still playing Three Blind Mice and Jingle Bells. I know how to play exactly 9 notes. I learned how to play half notes on Sunday. Eighth notes were Monday's lesson. In the US I would say I am learning to play the violin. But in Honduras, either you play or you don't. And they've seen that I play. I posted it on Facebook! So by Honduran standards, I play the violin.

Tonight I was asked to play for a big event with the dance team with my church. I went into my big explanation about how I've only been playing for eleven days. They said yes, but you already knew how to play, so you'll be fine. The event is in 10 days. (They said that like 10 days is a lot of time to practice.)

I really do want to play, but I really don't think I'm good enough yet. So I explained that to them and said they can send me the music and I'll see if I can play it.

No, they said, you don't even need to learn any music. We are doing a free flowing (jam session) time of music. You will be accompanying a piano. You can just play as the Holy Spirit moves you. WHAT!????? I'm supposed to just "jam" on my violin. As if that would be easier!

I drove home thinking about all of this. In the US we wait until we are prepared, then we say that we are able to do something. In Honduras people step out in faith, or step out in the process of learning.

I have a friend in Honduras who is at school to be a doctor. I was shocked to see a photo of her on Facebook in her very first year wearing a white jacket that says "doctor" on it. That would never fly in the US until she had the actual degree in her hand. She is doing all sorts of hands on things that we wouldn't do until we were years into our studies in the US. It's the same with dentists, psychologists... Sometimes it really freaks me out. Sometimes I think it's cool.

One of the times I think it's really cool is at talent shows. At talent shows in Honduras people of all ages participate. They don't wait until they are good at something. They stand up in front of everyone with no shame and do what they love, whether they are "good" at it or not. I love watching Honduran talent shows. It's not a competition, it's about sharing what you love with others.

So, I am going to take the Honduran approach. I am going to practice with the dance team at their rehearsal. If I am not a distraction to their dancing, I will perform with them the next day. The leader of the dance team is sending me a link about how to "free flow". And I do have ten whole days to practice. Hahaha! This is going to be interesting.

Yesterday I took Ana and her family to the movies. It was their first time ever in a movie theater. They were perfectly behaved. They didn't speak or wiggle during the movie, except to go to the bathroom. Isabella is freaking me out. She talks like an adult! Samuel is seven years old now and Jired is about to turn 18. It was a super nice day. The movie is half price on Tuesdays. Tickets were only $2.50 each. We have plans to go back next week to see The Secret Life of Pets.

Ana and her family