My Ol' Beater Violin

This week, I am switching gears from the subject of astronomy to that of music. 

Beginning in about the third or fourth grade in the early 1960s, I took up playing the violin. My older sibs were already taking lessons on the instrument, so my folks thought it might be good for me, as well. 

The elementary school I attended was part of a school district that had a well-established string instrument music program, so I received my early violin training at public school.

The music teacher was a wonderful lady, Ms. Wanda Ballantyne. She took me under her wing and worked with me at the school on an individual basis. In my fifth-grade year, I had progressed to the point where I was able to learn a more advanced solo piece that I performed at a PTA meeting. I still have that music and pull it out once in awhile to give it a go.

Anyway, this is a picture of the old acoustic violin that I've had since those good old days:

It's really nothing special - an inexpensive student instrument. I don't even know the make or model.

Here is a picture of the battle-scarred bow:

And I literally mean battle-scarred!  The dents and marks are the remnants of a number of swash-buckling 'sword' fights with my fellow juvenile orchestra-mates.  When the teacher wasn't looking, of course!

Adds a little bit of character and 'patina' to the poor old instrument...

Despite the abuse, this old fiddle has been with me through a lot.  It followed me through my junior high school days.

 I played it while I was in college in a band with all of my room-mates.

It was my instrument when I began playing in church orchestras beginning in the mid-1990s.

It went on stage with me at my first-ever open mic performance.

It was even the violin I played onstage at a large church in Denver as part of a string ensemble backing up Christian recording artist Lincoln Brewster during his 2013 Joy To The World tour!

Sadly, I don't play this instrument much anymore, as I went full electric about ten years ago.  But I still pull it out of the case once in awhile, tune it up, and run through some of my old favorite fiddle tunes!