Girl-with-the-Thorn
Still here.
Wonderful article. I always make time for the buskers, they're like those little green shoots that grow up out of the sidewalk, fighting the good fight.
I used to play the violin - it was the most difficult, nuanced instrument I've ever attempted. It took more discipline and patience than I had to give; I eventually gave it up for the relative ease and cheap thrills of the electric guitar.
That experience keeps me humble because no matter how good I ever got at anything else, I never mastered the violin, and I was never able to coax it into producing those glorious, glorious sounds. The godawful sound of a violin played badly is exceeded only by the sound of a poorly played trumpet.
It's still my favorite instrument - miraculous.
It is an incredibly difficult instrument to master. I've been playing nearly ten years and the amount of precision and technique you need to get the right sound and intonation is still often frustrating. I find it a very rewarding, inspiring instrument to play though. I wish I had more time to practice, but as always there's not enough hours in the day.
