Ryan Bloomberg
Copy Editor
When I toured Keene State College, I had not heard of the Redfern Music Department, and when I stepped into the mysterious doors, I had no idea what was in store.
When I was much younger, I had a passion for music that started in elementary school. That passion soon grew into a love for instruments.That is when I picked up both the saxophone and the violin. They were like two different worlds for me: one with jazz and powerful sounds, and the other with subtle, beautiful tones. I performed in concert band up into high school, and continued my learning of the Suzuki Method of violin until the end of middle school. The Suzuki method of violin was created by Shinichi Suzuki, a legendary japanese musician. He was a philosopher in finding the perfect way to teach children the art of playing violin, and with his methods, anyone could start learning how to play and understand the instrument. No matter if they were 3 years old or even 53, his methods worked, and they helped me become the violinist I am today.
This passion only grew further and further as I signed up for marching band in high school and started to branch out in my knowledge of the violin. While some nights I was playing in the marching band, cheering against our school’s rival, other nights I was performing in local barn dances with the violin, as well as popular museum events for the public. I continued to grow musically, from playing at nursing homes and end of the year recitals. I honed my understanding of the violin until it felt like an extension of my arms, and until the music I was playing never left my head. As high school came to a close, I had to leave my saxophone behind. I knew that with all of the things I wanted to achieve in college, I didn’t want to stress myself out with another instrument. When I found Keene State College, I didn’t even know how much I would come to love its undiscovered music rooms and its advanced practice halls.
If you fast forward to today, you’ll almost always find me in the Redfern, whether I’m playing in an ensemble, in a practice room, or even in the recital halls. With a music minor, I strive to perform at the best of my ability, with about 8 hours a week of solo practicing and music classes, on top of the rest of my regular classes. Next semester, I plan to join the orchestra, and continue to thrive in the music department – always learning and growing through my triumphs and mistakes. Some might say that playing that many hours is self-destructing, and I disagree. Even with other classes in my schedule, I find plenty of time to relax and take breaks, before jumping into the next concerto or sonata.
Although sometimes tedious, playing an instrument brings out the best in music, as people can come together as one to achieve something beautiful. Relying and supporting one another in an ensemble is definitely my favorite part of the music I play, as it highlights the different styles of each instrument all in one piece. I believe everyone should try playing an instrument once in their lives, because they’ll never know what they’ve been missing.
Ryan Bloomberg can be contacted at
rbloomberg@kscequinox.com
