Elise Walters, a freshman at Northwest Academy, started playing violin at Mosaic String Academy when she was five.
“My brother played the violin since the time I was born, so I was inspired [by him]” said Walters.
Walters noticed that the way that she learned music changed as she grew.
“For the first six or seven years I was playing violin, I didn’t have a grasp of reading music,” said Walters. “It would take me a while to learn songs, but after that learning curve, I [started to] read music easily.”
Walters also started to practice the violin more frequently as she grew older. She started to use practice as a way to explore the instrument and enjoyed it rather than treating it as a chore.
“As I’ve grown I enjoy playing violin so I’ll practice when I can,” said Walters. “I try to practice every day for at least an hour.”
Her preferred genre of music to play is usually classical, but she also plays folk and occasionally fiddle.
Walters points out the effect that playing instruments has on the human brain, describing the positive neurological impact that playing the violin has on her, such as the way that her view on practice has changed over the years.
“Playing an instrument helps create new neural pathways that can be really helpful for learning [new] techniques,” said Walters.
Through the years, Walters has fostered a strong connection with the violin, and it has become a key part of Walters’ identity.
“If I didn’t play the violin, I would lose a part of me,” said Walters.
Walters currently plays with a quartet and performs at weddings. She believes that this may help her gain a scholarship for college in the future. If this works out, Walters is interested in joining a symphony or becoming a professional musician. Walters states that if her career as a violinist does not succeed, she will continue with it as a hobby or perform with other musicians.
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