Why do I play the violin?

 I have thought about what the purpose of playing an instrument is lately...

Why do I make all of my kids practice their instruments EVERY DAY? Why is it worth the battle to make them do this every day? Why did my Mom make me practice my violin every single day?

The answer for me is that it blesses my life every single day. The power of Music is real.  Listening to music and feeling music makes me feel human. I thank my Mom NOW that she made me practice every day because I see it as an adult...Music is a life long blessing in  your life if you just stick with it. You may or may not continue to play a sport or dance after high school, but you will always have music with you. 

I feel so blessed that I can teach music every day to my students and my own kids. If I knew what I know now about the blessing of music as a high schooler, I think I would have enjoyed it more and not complained so much when my Mom told me to practice every day. 

Not everyone's musical path is the same...my 16 year son is very serious in his musical journey right now, while balancing good grades, high school sports, a social life, his job, church/spirituality and practicing violin every day. It is so hard to find the time to practice more than an hour every day, but he is really trying to prioritize it in his schedule. 

My 14 year old daughter does not love playing the violin right now, so instead of letting her just quiet all together, I have her practice her review pieces for 10 minutes a day so she does not loose what she has gained in her violin studies. I just know she would regret not playing the violin later on in life, so this solution works for now. 

My little ones just have a routine of practicing every day either before school or right after school. I am hoping that these habits stick with them and that it is something that they do naturally. Playing fun disney, fiddle and Christmas songs is mixing it up for them and making it fun. 

When I am asked to play my violin at a wedding or a funeral, I truly feel so honored to be able to bring a special feeling to others. I recently was able to play my violin with my sisters at my Grandmothers funeral and I couldn't help but feeling like it was such a privilege to provide a comforting feeling to those at the funeral. 

So I answer, YES-it is worth it to play an instrument and to practice it every single day. If you are going to do something, BE ALL IN! Don't just practice it 1 or 2 days of the week-be all in and get better! Practicing is the ONLY way that you will get better at anything, especially music.  Stick with it, and it will bless not only your life, but those around you. It is worth it!!!

Thanks Mom for making me practice 'ONLY ON THE DAYS I ATE!' growing up!