A Brave Show of Talent

Belli has been playing violin for eight years now under an incredible teacher, Teacher Lois Espinosa. We carry no gene for musicality in our family so clearly, Belli wasn't born with a gift, or maybe, not even an ear for music. But I went ahead, bought her a tiny violin and enrolled her in classes. It is probably fate that I found Teacher Lois, who has, singlehandedly, nurtured a love for music in her. Now, she can play Bach and Mozart but over and above that she can grope around for notes to pop songs. She has not had formal lessons in piano but, in the same fashion, she can play by ear.

This is fierce testament to the fact that musical talent can be cultivated. This time, definitely, nurture wins over nature. However, given Belli's personality, this talent has been pickled in the house for eight years. I never meant for her to showboat but I have badgered her constantly to play for others (outside of the loyal audience in her annual recitals, who are all family members of fellow violinists). She is a sort of Shrinking Violet, one who hates calling attention to herself. I keep telling her that not sharing one's talent is a crime against humanity, but she laughs it all off.

She practices on her own at home and each time I hear the strains of her violin, which, as an instrument emits a very haunting, melancholy sound, my hair stands. Hearing her play never fails to move me. I stop in my tracks, drop whatever it is I am doing and listen in deference to her talent, in appreciation of her efforts, and in celebration of music.

Today, for the very first time since she first picked up a violin, she played in public. Along with a group of middle school kids, she played a pop song by the local band, Narda. One of them chose the song and asked her if she could play to it. She listened to the song once, groped around for the notes and then played it like she, herself, wrote the music. She was very nervous climbing up that stage, I saw it in her eyes. But the moment she posed bow against strings and and slid it down to create the most hushed of musical wails, she was off to her own world. I was blown away.