Why I Chose My Instrument
Tim
(Viola)
“I switched to viola from violin for many reasons. One main influence was a teacher, Ms. Colaianni, who was the conductor of the Fulton County Youth Orchestra. I really wanted to join halfway through the year, but she said that she didn’t need any violins. She did need some violists. She helped me learn to read the alto clef, and because I did not have a viola, she brought her nice one to rehearsals for me to use. At first I was sort of “iffy” about playing viola, because most of my friends were violinists. After a while, it started to grow on me, and well… here I am today. There are a few other reasons, but I’ll leave them for another time.”
Chris V.
(Cello)
“I began playing cello because I had to join band or orchestra and didn’t want to ‘have an instrument on my neck. I also liked the sound of the cello and the violin was too high.”
Bona
(Violin)
“In 4th grade, my mom made me learn the violin after school. In 9th grade, I chose violin because I had played it before.”
James
(cello)
“I started piano when I was five and quit 5 years later when I moved to Georgia. There wasn’t an orchestra program in Florida so I had never heard of the cello before. Because of my smallness I needed something to compensate for it, so I took up the cello. I also thought that the violin and viola were too crappy for me.”
Julee
(violin)
“My family and I just moved from Brazil to the United States on August 6, and I transferred to Haynes Bridge in 6th grade. They asked me if I wanted to play some type of instrument and I didn’t know that they offered a music class. So my dad was like “maybe you should take something as a class, but nothing too loud like a trumpet… how about a flute? or a violin?” I decided on the violin because I knew that it was probably easier to play than a flute. I wanted cello though!”
Melissa
(violin)
“My second cousin is a violinist, and the first time I heard her play, I fell in love with it. I knew that I wanted to play it. So in sixth grade, I started the violin and practiced really hard just to sound like her. She promised me that if I tried really hard and got a scholarship to Julliard, then she would give me one of her violins and private lessons.”
Nicole B.
(bass)
“I used to play the cello, but then I switched to bass because I got bored of the cello. Why I chose the play the cello in the first place was because I did not want to take it home. When you play the cello, you don’t have to take your instrument home.”
Elizabeth
(violin)
“I chose to play the violin in the 4th grade because I always liked the way it sounded and thought it was a beautiful instrument. My mom also said that I couldn’t play the cello or bass because they were too big; two years later, however, my younger sister began to play the cello! Throughout the years I’ve been playing, I’ve never wanted to switch instruments.”
Andrew G.
(violin)
“I chose the violin because my dad told me it would be the most fun. The violin also gets to play the fast parts.”
Molly
(violin)
“When I was in the 6th grade, by best friend ever, Kirsten, told me that orchestra was really awesome and cool, so I joined. When I joined, she had already been playing for two years, and since I had just joined, it was very, very hard for me! After a while, I got the hang of it, and I’ve loved it ever since.”
Stephanie
(violin)
“I chose the violin because it’s my parents’ favorite string instrument. Also because I was very tiny and still am, they chose the violin for me to play. Since I’m so tiny, they didn’t choose a full size violin for me. Instead they chose a 3/4th size violin for me. Therefore, I have the smallest violin, and that’s why I got the award “Pocket-sized Violin” last year at the banquet.”
Alessandra
(viola)
“When my sister chose the cello, I was in the second grade. I knew that I wanted to be just like my older sister, but then in the third grade I saw her string quartet practicing for the talent show. That was the first time I heard the viola, and that night I knew the viola was for me. It’s true that the viola doesn’t always get the most interesting parts, and most people consider it just to be a “big violin,” but any violist cold tell you the violist is so much more. The eternally rich and smooth sound of the viola could capture any person’s soul. It expresses the feeling of warmth and peace. I am glad I didn’t follow my sister’s footsteps and that I chose the viola instead.”
Larnell
(violin)
“In the 4th grade, having a violin was considered “cool,” and it gave me an activity to get away from my mom.”
Amelia
(violin)
“Because my sister switched to cello and my brother chose baritone, my parents wanted me to play the violin, because my sister didn’t anymore.”
Monica
(violin)
“I chose the violin because my friends chose it. I also didn’t want to be by myself playing a viola or any other instrument.”
Katie M.
(violin)
“I chose the violin because my older brother is a professional cellist and violinist. I thought it would be cool to continue the orchestra-instrument-playing through my family. Originally, I chose to play the viola, but I really like the sound of the fiddle so I switched to violin.”
Michelle
(Violin)
“It was the end of 2nd grade during the talent show when a girl played allegro in the 2nd Suzuki book. Then, this boy, whom I had a crush on, went up to her and said, “You look really cute when you play violin.” So, I had to start.”
Rita
(violin)
“When I was little, the only instrument I ever wanted to play was the flute, but my mom didn’t like that instrument. She took me to her friend ( a private lessons teacher) so she could teach me to play the violin. So I took private lessons at home, and at school I played the flute in band. After being in jazz band and the school’s highest band for three years, I finally decided in the middle of eighth grade, when I moved to Georgia, to quit the flute and play the violin at school in orchestra.”
Megan
(violin)
“I stared playing the violin because I had to choose an instrument at my school. We got to try out the instrument that we wanted to play and I thought that the violin was a cool instrument. Once I joined orchestra, Mr. Kim was my teacher and he played the Centennial High School Orchestra CD for us. I loved it, and since then, I wanted to be part of the Centennial Orchestra. I also fell in love with my instrument.”
Jovan
(Viola)
“I chose viola because I wanted Mr. Kim to pay more attention to me. Jon Nim was going to start viola too, and we were supposed to do it together. Now, I’m all alone.”
Chase
(violin)
“I started out playing the violin in the 5th grade and decided to play bass the following year. I played the bass for a year then switched back to the violin in the sixth grade and I have been playing it ever since. I chose the violin because it is the smallest instrument and it sounds the best to me.”
Sarah P.
(violin)
“I chose the violin because it was the only instrument I knew about.”
Quy
(violin)
“ I chose the violin because it was the only instrument that I knew of, my friend
(who quit) played, and I didn’t like band.”
Kathy M.
(violin)
“I got into playing the violin because my cousin was in her high school orchestra. I really wanted to play an instrument, but I didn’t want it to be a big one. My mom really likes the violin so I decided to play it. I also had (have) friends who play the violin.”
Kim
(viola)
“In 5th through 6th grade, I played the violin. I was a second chair first violinist, but I got bored of it and the E string started to get irritating. In 7th grade, a violist we had was moving so I switched over the summer. I’ve been playing the viola for 3 years. I like it much more than the violin because it has a richer sound.”
Amina
(viola)
“We had a small assembly in the 4th grade for those who were interested in orchestra, band, or chorus. The orchestra teacher showed us all of the instruments, and I decided on the viola because it didn’t seem too small like the violin or too big like the cello and bass.”
Malikah
(viola)
“I used to think it would be cool to carry an instrument around so in fourth grade, my friends and I chose the viola because it was an instrument no one really knew about. It soon became a hassle to carry in back and forth, but I still do it!”
Julia
(viola)
“In the 4th grade, I chose the cello because it looked like the coolest instrument, but I got tired of carrying the instrument so I went a step smaller and played viola. I didn’t want to play violin because I hated a girl who was a violinist.”
Martin
(violin)
“Many of my friends begged me to join the orchestra, so I joined in my junior year. I chose the violin because most of my friends played it and they could teach me how to play.”
Ryan
(viola)
“I chose the viola in the 4th grade because I didn’t kow what it was and I wanted to find out.”
Brie
(viola)
“I chose the viola because I wanted to compromise. I really liked the cello, and wanted to play it really badly. My father, however, plays Bluegrass and comes from a family of Bluegrass-players. His father and three brothers play bluegrass whenever they can. My father wanted me to play the violin so I would someday become a fiddle player. I decided to compromise with him and chose the viola.”
Briana
(cello)
“In the 4th grade I played the violin for a day and thought it was too small for my little muscular body so I switched to cello!”
Alex
(cello)
“My dad wanted me to play the cello, and I liked it so I kept playing.”
Erik
(cello)
“In the 4th grade, I started off in band. I remained in band throughout elementary school. As I moved into middle school, my mom and I decided to switch to orchestra to try something new. I chose the cello because I liked the low sound of the instrument and I thought it was the right size for me. My mom also made me play the cello.”
Scott
(cello)
“I played the violin in 4th and 5th grade. I decided to switch to cello in the 6th grade because we only had two cellos and roughly 30 or 35 violins. At the time, I didn’t think that was balanced so I switched.”
Anna
(cello)
“I signed up to take orchestra as my elective for ninth grade. I thought I was going to play the violin so I took one violin lesson, but I decided I didn’t really like the violin. My piano teacher recommended the cello so I took a cello lesson and immediately felt drawn to the instrument. It felt right for me and I knew this was the instrument
I wanted to play.”
Andrew B.
(violin)
“A long time ago in the land of Baton Rouge, I came across a mighty instrument, the most amazing thing ever created by man, the violin. My uncle gave me a violin to play, and I quickly learned to play and joined the 4th grade orchestra. It was grand. Ever since then, I’ve played the violin. I also named my violin Taku.”
Adrian
(violin)
“I chose to play the violin because when my teacher asked me what instrument I wanted to play, the violin was the only one that I knew of.”
Ariana
(violin)
“In the third grade, I chose to play the viola the following year because Mr. Kim told us at an assembly that the viola could play every single note on the violin and much more. In my mind, cello and bass were ruled out because of their size. As a third grader, I wasn’t willing to carry an instrument larger than me to and from school everyday the following year. (I do, however, like the cello very much right now.) Because of all of these reasons, I played the viola in fourth and fifth grade. By the end of fifth grade, I realized that the viola rarely had the melody, which I loved. I also liked the higher notes on the E string, which you can’t play on the viola. So in the sixth grade, I was put in the beginners’ orchestra class so I could learn the violin notes. At first, it was very difficult to read and apply the violin notes to my brain and fingers, but I eventually got it. I’m so glad that I switched!”
Ariell
(violin)
“The reason why I chose to play the violin was because in the second grade, the orchestra teacher came around and the only instrument he was teaching was the violin.”
Danielle
(violin)
“It was the summer before sixth grade, and my parents wanted me to choose an instrument early so I would be a little advanced. My sister played the cello and I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and that she was the most talented person in the world. However, I didn't want to be a copy-cat. My next choice was harp. My parents thought that was too big. Then bass. Same deal, it was too big. (I still wish I could play it though.) Then I didn't want to play viola, because unless you have mastered it, it sounds like a boy going through puberty. My last choice was violin. I had seen a concert with Midori, and I loved how passionate she was with her music. After watching her I knew I wanted to stick with violin.”
Lisa
(Cello)
“When I was in 2nd grade, I decided that I wanted to play the cello. I had a Sesame Street book about the orchestra, and I thought that the cello was the coolest.”
Robin
(Violin)
“I chose my instrument in 4th grade. The band and orchestra teachers were talking to us about both groups. Mr. Splawn scared me because he had a mustache. So I picked orchestra with Ms. Bethel. We got a sheet where we had to number the instruments that we wanted to play from “1-4,” but I lost my sheet. When she asked me what I wanted to play, I picked the violin because it had a pretty name. I liked the way that it ended with a consonant, not a vowel. Violin / Viola”
Katie W.
(Viola)
“In 5th grade all the kids were brought to the band, chorus, and orchestra teachers. I hated the band instruments (TOO LOUD!), and I couldn’t sing. So, I picked orchestra. While in orchestra, the teacher asked what instrument everyone wanted to play. Nobody picked viola, so I did.”
Chelsea
(Violin)
“My brother was in a talent show, so my family and I went to see him. Another girl played before him; she played the violin. I thought that it sounded really pretty. In 6th grade I decided to start playing the violin.”
Nicole R.
(Violin)
“I chose violin in 6th grade because I had already tried band and chorus in 4th and 5th grade and didn’t like it. I wanted to be in orchestra, and the violin was the only instrument I had really heard about.”
Ben
(bass)
“wanted something unique, chose instrument with fewest players, also a 5th grader dropped a bass on my hand when I was in 4th grade, left a scar on left palm.”
Nick
(bass)
“I would like to be thought as a pure basses but its not all true. 6th grade I went through playing a viola and then I hated it so much I wanted to switch to percussion. The reason why I’m still here in orchestra is because the band teacher was talking to my dad about the switch and my dad mentioned that I was left handed so the band teacher said I would be better in orchestra. So I went back to orchestra and chose the bass because we only had one and sat in the instrument storage room for 4 months practicing the bass with Mrs. Browns and orchestra books.”
Andrew
(Bass)
“I played violin before. When I went to 6th grade, we only had one bass player, so my teacher told me to play the bass. I was forced, but it worked out.”
Jennifer
(Violin)
“I started playing the violin in 6th grade. A lot of my friends were starting orchestra, so I wanted to do it. The teacher seemed really nice too. The main reason that I wanted to join was because I wanted a trophy. If you stayed in orchestra until 8th grade and went to all of the concerts, you got a trophy. Unfortunately, I moved here after 7th grade, and I never got my trophy. But I still like the violin.”
Nicole D.
(Cello)
“I had the appearance of the cello confused with that of a violin. I thought the endpin was on a violin and you had to stick it in your neck to keep it up. I was scared, so I chose cello.”
Koushy
(Violin)
“I first wanted to play in band and play the flute or clarinet. I was a really small girl, and I couldn’t blow for a long time. I never thought that I could play a band instrument well. I decided to play the violin, because I don’t have to blow in an instrument for a long time.”
Sarah M.
(Violin)
“When my teachers first showed me a variety of classical instruments at the tender age of about nine, I was drawn to the violin like magic.”
Virginia
(Cello)
“I started playing violin, but then I thought that it was really squeaky. Mr. Kim said my fingers were really long and asked me if I wanted to try cello. I said yes and switched.”
Krystal
(Violin)
“When I was eight, I was at church, and I was fixed on a guy playing the violin the
whole time. I had always loved classical music. Later, we saw him at the grocery store, and he told me about violin. When I moved here, there was a school music
program, so I chose violin.”
Nicole W.
(Viola)
“One of my friends picked viola, so I did too. Also, I did not want to be like everyone else who chose violin.”
Raha
(Violin)
“I chose the violin because I thought that it would be unique. My dad also said that it would be a good choice.”
Henry
(Violin)
“My mother always wanted to play the violin, so she made me play it instead. I never got to choose an instrument. I did not know what other instruments there were at the time.”
Emma
(Viola)
“I randomly chose it in 4th grade, because I liked the name. Everyone else did violin or cello, because they have no imagination.”
Ruth
(Violin)
“I forgot… my mom?… somehow?”
Kandasi
(Violin)
“My mom played violin when she was little. She told me about it when I was five. I was so interested that I asked for a violin for Christmas. I got one, and I have been playing ever since.”
Cory
(Bass)
“I wanted to quit band because the band director hated me and wouldn’t let me play fun parts.”
Jamry
(Violin)
“My dad said it was too challenging, so I did it to prove him wrong.”
Chris G.
(Violin)
“Um, I was stuck between drums and violin. I chose violin, so that I could play “Devil Went Down to Georgia.’”
David
(Viola)
“Tricked by Mr. Fisher.”
Jim
(Cello)
“No one else played cello, and I remember hearing it played on TV.”
Edward
(Violin)
“My mom always wanted to play the violin, and she loved the sound. She decided and forced me to play the violin.”
Claire
(Violin)
“I didn’t want to be in band, and the violin was the only reasonable choice.”
Meredith
(Viola)
“Everyone had to call out the instrument that they were going to play. I was going to call violin, but for some reason I called viola instead. I didn’t even mean to.”
Lina
(Violin)
“I didn’t know what a viola, cello, or bass was in 4th grade. I only knew of a violin. I even walked in the orchestra room hoping it was the “violin room.’”
Rebecca
(Violin)
“I started because my parents chose it for me, and it was the only instrument that I knew of.”
Kala
(Viola)
“I don’t have a story. I suppose I was just naturally drawn to the viola, because it’s the best instrument ever. It was meant to be.”