Double Bass…Double Threat
I just want to say that I played the piano first, then the violin, and due to a shortage of people, the bass. I was looking across the orchestra room one day, and I saw this huge instrument. I’ve seen it in Jazz and Blues in the back providing the constant thump thump thump that lead the beat through the song, but I have never seen it in person. I liked my violin at the time, and I wasn’t that bad at it. I was near the front of the group sitting 4th chair of the advanced orchestra and maybe last in the super-early-in-the-morning honors orchestra, but I was overall pretty good. But one day, my orchestra teacher just posed the questions to the violins first: Does anyone wanna switch instruments and try to play the bass for a day? No one really rose their hand except for Carl* to use the restroom. It was 15 seconds and 15 seconds too long to wait for volunteers, but my teacher waited. Then all of a sudden, I saw my arm levitate. “I want to try it”, my mouth began to murmur. My teacher looked extremely happy, and I guess that was the story of how I had to do two orchestra classes for the 7th grade.
I just started to pluck it and train it to be suited to me. I started to glide the bow on the string in a position that was not familiar to me. Questions zoomed through my mind: Why is this bow heavy? This instrument is really heavy: what is in it? Why did I raise my hand? But through all this madness, I kept pressing another question: When will I do it again? This question is universally known as the question of strength and courage. It is a question of confidence, but humility. It is a question of seeking truth and satisfying your hunger as it grows more and more. I played, and I started to advance quicker than the others who have been playing for years. Instead of sitting in 4th chair and last, I was sitting in 2nd chair from the advance bass group and 2nd again in the honors orchestra. I was what people were saying in my generation “killing it.” Hey, don’t judge me. I am a bit of an old soul. I started to invest this passion in my life, and it soon became as essential as breathing.
Now well, I have 4 years of experience under my belt, and I can play some concertos or 2. I have also been active in many youth groups maxing out at principal at all except for 1. And of course, being #1 at my school in the most advanced group. Am I bragging too much? I hope not XD. Look, all I am saying from this piece is for you to find your niche. Something you like to do and stick with it for a long time. Because soon enough, it will be ingrained in your life and you won’t even tell its difference apart like left and right.
