Laundry Room

I was just spending some time practicing the violin in the laundry room. Even though I've been playing this specific concerto for almost a couple of years now, there are still problem areas that come back whenever I don't practice consistently. And I'm recording the last segment (hopefully!!) of my college tape this weekend! (...except for arpeggios. I can't seem to find my workbook of arpeggios...danggit UCI!)

A couple of years ago, when my half-brother Kevin was visiting home from New York, he told me to try practicing in the laundry room. "It's like playing in a concert hall compared to the carpeted living room," he said. Since then, whenever I felt like I had practiced hard and was still dissatisfied with my sound, I'd treat myself to a few minutes practicing in the laundry room. With eyes closed, I really could imagine that I was playing for a crowd in a music hall.

Aside from beautiful acoustics, the laundry room is also a closed, clean[er] space compared to the rest of the house. And it's not too cold like our bathroom....(from which the neighbors can hear my playing O_O. ) I can always concentrate in the laundry room, and because of the privacy, I can also exaggerate my musicality and explore styles to find the type that fits me or fits exactly what the composer's looking for.

Today, I traced my time in the laundry room back to Kevin, and really wanted to hear him play again. How can a neuro-surgeon ever have the time to just play the violin?? Today I wonder if he ever does. I wonder how he'd sound now. I wonder what kind of magic happened in that laundry room. Sure, I agree that it takes discipline and persistent practice to really improve, but I also think being able to pretend that I'm playing in a large hall, sound soaring through the air, can bring that music to the next level. Beginner, amateur :), or professional.

Speaking of New York and big brothers, ERIC'S COMING HOME IN TWO WEEKS!!