My Beginnings
"What would you like to be when you grow up?" is a question every kid is often asked. Ever since I was a little girl my answer has been, "I want to be a violinist."
When I was only four years old my mother enrolled me in Kindermusik, a wonderful program for kids to immerse themselves in music. Not only does it teach kids about music but children get to create music first hand. This was an incredible experience for me. From playing "Froggie Went a Courtin" on the glockenspiel to learning how to interpret note patterns on the djembe, I learned so much early on that gave me a solid background to music when I began violin.
It was in this very music class that I heard my first violin. The teacher's daughter came in and played for us one day. Much to my delight, the teacher even let us play! (Well, at least we thought we were playing.) With the violin under our chin, our teacher walked us through the motions of playing a string instrument and collectively, all of our notes came together to make "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
At the age of eight, my Kindermusik days were over. I hadn't forgotten that day three years earlier of getting to "play" a violin. I told my mom that I was ready. It was time to start violin lessons.
After some research and advice from friends, we found a teacher in Tuscaloosa, close to where my family was living at the time. Five years went by and I loved every minute. My violin lesson was the highlight of my week. I adored my teacher and tried to remember every detail of what she said to me. A few years after I started playing, I joined the Tuscaloosa Chamber Strings. When I was thirteen, my beloved teacher moved away. That year was a difficult one as I tried and tried to find a new teacher in Birmingham. Because we moved away from Tuscaloosa, I joined the Alabama Youth Symphony and played there for two years.
Samford's Brock Hall
Some friends of mine had just started lessons with Jeff Flaniken, the violin professor at Samford University, and suggested that I look into his studio. My life was changed. I started lessons with him in the fall of my 10th grade year. His style of teaching was revolutionary to me. Whatever technique I needed to learn, he had a specific exercise to teach everything under the sun. A year later I started playing with the Samford University Orchestra. It was such an amazing experience to be playing with such high-quality performers. My junior and senior year I also played in the Alabama All-State Festival Orchestra--talk about a mind-blowing experience.
When it came time for me to decide which college I would attend, Samford's music department had already spoiled me. Nowhere else I looked could compare. I knew I wanted a Christian school with a strong music department--Samford had both! God worked miracle after miracle to get me to Samford. Now I'm living my dream as I major in Violin Performance.
Though the road to get where I am today hasn't necessarily been easy, it has been such a blessing to carry out that five year old girl's dream. "I want to be a violinist when I grow up."