my new toy

"I think I want to learn to play the violin."

"Just... you?"

[looking around]  "Uhh... yeah..."

"Oh, okay.  Usually we have parents come in with their kids."

"Oh.  Uhh, no, just me."

Last night I had a dream that I was playing the banjo.  I was having an absolute blast.  It was just so joyous.  I woke up in the middle of the night, and I just couldn't get it out of my head.  I mean, why not, right?  I've always wanted to play the banjo, and there is absolutely no reason for me to not sign up for banjo lessons.

But then I started thinking: I've always wanted to play the banjo, but I've also always kind of wanted to play the fiddle.  How cool would that be, to be able to play the fiddle?  And the great thing about playing the fiddle is that there's nothing keeping you from playing it like a violin, too.  Violins have a lot of range.  You can play one by itself, and play some awesomely schmaltzy classical piece, or you can play in an orchestra, or you can play in a little trio or quartet or quintet, or you can find a bunch of goofy weirdos who are into Irish dance and join an amazing folk band and just have a blast on the weekends.

Plus, I really know next to nothing about the violin.  It uses a different clef from the piano, it has four strings, and you rest it under your chin when you play, but that's basically all I know.  With the banjo, I've held a banjo before, I used to know how to play the guitar decently... it's just not as exotic to me.

So when I finally got out of bed, I was fixated.  I started looking for banjo and fiddle lessons in State College, and places where you can buy or rent musical instruments.  It turns out there's a music academy here, with lessons for adults and an Irish guy who teaches fiddling.  So like, I'm sold.  There's also a "family music store" that seems to be largely for school-aged kids to rent instruments.  So I drove over to the family music store and had the above conversation, resulting in me holding a violin for the first time, which felt strangely natural.  It turns out you can rent a brand new, beautiful violin (see photo) for $12.72 a month.  Uhhhh yes, please sign me up.

Here is the game plan:

1)  Start lessons next week at the music store.

2)  Take weekly lessons for a few months until the new semester starts at the music academy.

3)  Sign up for a semester of private fiddle lessons.

4)  Rock the freaking house.