Violin Girl

violin girl

Violin... The word brings such vivid images to my mind. A slender and graceful soloist performing on stage, her eyes closed with delirious ecstasy. The mysterious, dark, gaunt figure of Paganini, his long thin fingers racing up and down the fingerboard with demonic, preternatural speed. Tartini reclining in bed while handing the violin to the devil himself. Sherlock Holmes playing a tune in his small flat on 221b Baker Street.

violin girl

The sound which comes forth from the violin stirs different emotions deep within my soul--sublimity, sweetness, passion, sadness, fear. Sibelius' concerto is dark and mysterious; Beethoven's is spiritual and noble; Brahms' is earthly and passionate; Tchaikovsky's is grand and dramatic.

violin girl

It's curious how, unlike other instruments, the violin seems to possess a dark, sinister quality. Surely no other instrument in history has been the 'victim' of such lore and legend. The violin is light and darkness. It has two faces, two personas. This is what makes the violin so intriguing. At the same time, it is associated with the feminine. I'm not referring to the shape and sound of the violin, but to the feelings it evokes on their owners. I've read that men violinists see the violin as a female companion, while women see it as an extension of themselves.

violin girl

Another thing I've come to realize is that most people have intense emotions about the violin--they either love it or hate it. Interesting enough, for someone who hasn't an affinity for music, the violin can be the most horrific, tortuous instrument to listen to.

violin girl

I was a late starter. I began taking violin lessons in my mid thirties. Just as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde woke up one day and decided to become a lawyer, I woke up one day and decided I wanted to play the violin. For somebody like me, who had never had any kind of musical education, it was a great challenge. Four years since then, I can only say I don't know how I could have lived without my violin for so long. A wonderful new dimension has opened in my life. Enveloped in music, surrounded by etudes and books, I wallow in the daily practice of this magnificent instrument, this marvel of ingenuity. But, most strange of all, this new dimension has extended to my writing as well. The violin has stirred my imagination and unleashed my creativity in ways that I never experienced before. A little orphan girl who wishes to become a violinist begs me to write her Christmas story; amateur teenaged violinists whisper in my ear that they wish to be the protagonists of my new mystery; a fragile, mentally unbalanced young violinist shares with me her horror tale, assuring me that her story would make a bestseller...

violin girl

Always near my computer, my violin beckons me to hold it when I'm stuck in a scene or passage, as if only one embrace, one stroke, are enough to lift the dark cloud from my mind. And always in the background is the violin music, my muse and inspiration. I hope this gift will continue to be bestowed upon me for many years to come.

violin girl

Girls' toys usually look sweet and cuddly and cute. Girls like dolls and doll houses and doll clothes. Usually, girls play house with their dolls, pretending they are the sister or the mother and their dolls are their sisters or their daughters. They love to play dress up. They choose clothes for their dolls for different occasions, just like what real women do. Each girl had probably experienced owning a Barbie or at least playing with it. They also have baby dolls. These kinds of toys show girls' maternal instincts.

violin girl

Girls also like playing with their doll houses. They decorate their doll houses with mini furniture and mini appliances. And this is where their dolls usually 'live'.

violin girl

Girls like role-playing games. However, when they do role-playing games, it is usually much more realistic compared to boys. For girls, they will just act out events in everyday lives like in a house or school, compared to boys, who usually pretend to be superheroes with supernatural powers or astronauts who will travel through the space.

violin girl

Other interesting girls' toys are cash register toys and play money where they can pretend to be cashiers or shoppers in a grocery or convenience store. They also like playing with cooking toys and pretending that they are cooking their own food.

violin girl

Aside from human dolls, they also like playing with stuffed dolls like stuffed animals that are usually in pastel or pale colors. They also like dolls of popular cartoon characters like Dora, Strawberry Shortcake, Hello Kitty and other female characters.

violin girl

Girls also like toys that imitate domestic items such as stoves, washing machine, cooking items, groceries, dishes and other household objects. This shows the domestic side of girls. Women are generally more inclined to do domestic chores than males.

violin girl

Doctor's or nurses' kits with toy stethoscope, thermometer, or medicines are other popular toys for girls. They like having 'patients' or someone to take care of. Girls also like grooming and primping themselves and their dolls. Again, this shows the nurturing side of girls.

violin girl

They usually own toy grooming kits with combs, mirrors, toy make ups and beauty products, scrunchies, clips and hair pins, and other fake beauty paraphernalia. They like grooming and primping themselves and also their dolls. Girls also like having toy jewelleries, accessories, plastic shoes, and costumes for fairies or princesses.

violin girl

For music-related toys, girls usually have violins. This instrument is usually considered as a feminine instrument. Girls also like arts and crafts toys like scrapbooking materials, bead crafts, jewellery making materials, fashion crafts, and sewing and knitting materials. Some girls also like painting and drawing.