Twenty Percent Time Project Proposal

Violin

My twenty percent time project is to learn the violin. However, in several months, it's impossible to become as skilled as someone who has been playing for years. Because of this limited time and daunting task, I will narrow down my goals into something more reasonable.  Although my piano playing skills will be an aid to reading the melody of the treble clef, the violin is a totally different instrument. Unlike the piano, the violin matches a note to its sound by finger placement on certain strings, rather than by distinct keys. With that, my first goal is to learn the basic notes of the violin and develop muscle memory when I view the notes, i.e. produce an almost immediate response of finger/bow placement when a certain note is placed before me. My second task is to learn a song. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” may not be the most impressive piece of music, but it seems to be the introductory song when learning a new instrument; that will be my starting point. By the end of this project, I will hopefully be able to produce some scales and a beginner’s song to perform to the class, which will be the audience. Of course, with my practicing at home, my parents will also become the audience of a beginner’s violin screeches, wrongfully-played notes, and a mis-angled bow. The violin and bow itself was generously donated to me by one of my friends in college, who, having moved to California, has fortunately left such musical instrument in New Jersey.  For the next few months, I will dedicate time each week to using the Suzuki Violin I book to help me in my endeavors. Just as I do with piano, I will try to practice almost daily. When completing one book, I shall begin with the next book in the series, so on and so forth. With this growing experience with the violin in the next months, I hope to expand my musical talent and am really excited to do so!