All I Ask Of You Essay

My stand partner and I look out over the piazza - somehow, it’s become even more packed than it was during the last break between pieces. We glance at each other and smile nervously as our conductor announces the next song, “All I Ask of You”. My hands are sweating and I have butterflies in my stomach as our conductor introduces us: me as the arranger, and both of us as the featured soloists. I take a deep breath, glance at my conductor and the orchestra, and begin.

I’d like to say I was infatuated with cello from the moment my future conductor first played it (rather badly, as I’d later learn) at the fourth-grade introduction to the music program, but that’s not what happened. The classic demonstration of the Jaws theme was lost on me, a ten-year-old who’d never seen Jaws and was (is) terrified of sharks. Truthfully, the only reason I decided to do orchestra (in spite of rumored early morning rehearsals, the horror!) was because my friend chose violin. After deciding on orchestra, cello was a simple choice: you don’t have to hold it up on your shoulder and you can’t stand up while playing. Instant winner. Of course, my flawless reasoning failed to take into account how big cellos are, but no one's perfect.

In the seven years since then, I’ve learned a lot …show more content…
The first time I achieved first chair was also the first time my conductor decided a retest was necessary. Needless to say, I was not happy, but I put more work into that retest than I’d ever put into anything. I kept my spot and learned in the process that if I truly set my mind to something, I can make almost anything happen. Looking back, the retest wasn't the only (or the first) thing to teach me perseverance. The Achilles' heel of my decision - dragging my cello to and from school every day - taught me, albeit on a smaller scale, the dedication required by