Excerpts from Mighty Muso - Musings behind Violetta's adventures for adult minds and readers.
There appears no doubt about musical prodigies—there was something special in the water the day that they were born. For the rest of us mere mortals, however, we know it mostly comes down to hard work.
Having said that, music did sometimes seem easier. I was a reluctant practiser as a child—doing it every day, by the barest of minimums—but managing high-distinctions until University. I was often told I was talented, but then of course, I failed my first Conservatorium exam. Yep, I stepped into the real world.
Still, it took two years for me to learn how much work I needed to do in order to catch up. In the end, it was fun though. I survived on fruit, coffee and sushi rolls and there was even a bit of a club hanging out, practising until nine pm. I really loved it, and the more I did, the more I wanted to do. I was improving, getting better marks and my teacher thought so too.
Fortunately, for my health and sanity, I also had great friends and it was around that time I met my husband-to-be. I say fortunately, because like a lot of musicians, I have the propensity to fall into the ‘perfectionist’ category. That same category, that leads to obsession and over-work, constantly striving to be better. I can’t say I’ve recovered, but I can now say, I probably don’t have enough of a healthy perspective to balance this alone. I need grounding—so I don’t spend all my time floating up in the ether—and so I married the most down to earth man I’ve ever met.
Could I have been a professional orchestral violinist? Maybe, but I think I’m happier doing it on my own terms. Could I have been a soloist? No way. But I’m content with that too.
I am just one of those people who needs to practise every day. I will always try to get better, and probably never be happy with any of my performances, but I still love it.
Okay. I know. I’m seeming crazier by the minute, aren’t I? Don’t worry, there is a point. You see, I do love it. Not all the time, mind you, but enough to make me keep doing it in spite of all these opposing forces. So, does that mean music is innate in me?
Innate ability and talent are terms that are often used to describe musicians. The term ‘innate’ is generally taken to mean something you are born with, but philosophers go further to explain that it exists in the mind. Then there is talent. What is that? Where does it come from?
There are legends across many cultures of people being blessed by a spirit of some kind—the devil, a fairy, even a troll. It can come from the Gods, appear in a dream, or even be a result of a psychological condition. Of course, there is the possibility that people just work really, really hard and practise for hours and hours on end, rather than spending their time watching episode-after-episode on Netflix.
Don’t get me wrong, that’s okay too. So is getting out there in the real world.
The concept of talent is a large topic and there is so much to explore. Therefore, this section will just touch on a few things that my unusual mind was intrigued by. In the process, I began to also think about society's behaviour towards these amazing individuals. Not all societies mind you, but we’ve all witnessed and perhaps experienced the worst of it.
Still, we are here to become mightier, and Might Musos are always willing to forgive.
In addition to those things, I am in the final stages of publishing Violetta and the Paganini Polergeist. This is bringing up all kinds of perfectionism challenges. As I've often heard, this is more related to fear of judgment and I can also see it has been holding me back—a job for me to overcome in the next month. Wish me luck!
Anyway, when I began envisioning the subjects I wanted to explore in these musical musings otherwise known as The Mighty Muso, I certainly had Violetta in mind. Each part relates to a book in the series, a particular time and place and for part II, that is; mainly Paris and Paganini.
Just in case you are wondering, Violetta is rather partial to alliteration, hence the plethora of ‘p’s.
But what is Violetta and the Paganini Poltergeist really about? Well, if you are curious to know what inspired the wacky, musical, time-slip adventure, read on dear friend…
Ha ha ha… (that’s an evil laugh by the way, most probably uttered by Maurice Ravel-pictured below in a vampire costume).
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