I am absolutely the worst "blog updater" that ever was. I'm determined to be better.
Where do I begin?? I've been in Nashville for one month and 6 days. It feels like I've been here a year, but at the same time, I feel like I arrived yesterday. Nashville is the place for me, and I feel like God has prepared me for 18 years to claim my little spot in the Music City of the country. I love this place with all my heart. As in, the WHOLE thing.
I came here to Nashville to study Violin Performance with the one and only Connie Heard. Also known as the most loving, nurturing, yet the most "I expect you to have learned all of the violin repertoire you've ever heard of, including all etudes and caprices, by your next lesson. Which is tomorrow."-esque person in the world. She expects a lot, let me tell ya. But you'll never know how far you can go, unless you push the limits. She's pushin, but I'm pushin, too, and I'm getting better, and that the greatest news of all. Not only a better violinist, but a better musician. Not only a better musician, but a better student. Not only a better student, but a better friend, a better listener, a better worker, a better daughter, a better sister, a better disciple, a better everything. This whole music business is teachin me a lot. It's also teaching me that I love violin, and music, more than I ever knew. This is me. I love the violin. Guys, I LOVE the violin.
So, I came for violin, right? Right, but I'm one of 5 people in the class of 2017 that did. Let me tell you what the rest of 'em came for.
So, Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt is ranked #17 on "National University Rankings" and is also known as the Harvard of the South. The average ACT score of kids coming to Vanderbilt is a 34. As in, you miss like 5 questions on the ENTIRE TEST. Let me tell you a secret. I did NOT score a 34 on the ACT. Conversations between other students and me go a little something like this:
Me: So what are you studying?
The Average Joe of Vanderbilt: Oh, I'm double majoring in NeuroScience and BioChemical Engineering with an emphasis in Mathematics with a double minor in Education Studies of the Early 1800's in Great Britain and Cello Performance along with being on the Pre-Med track. I'm also on a football scholarship. What about you?
Me: Um. I play the violin.
My good friend Joe: .....................oh! Cool!
Okay, okay. Maybe that was a slight exaggeration. But I'm telling you, it's SLIGHT. These people are insane. We'll put it this way. I came for the violin program. They came for the Top 20 school. I came for my lovely violin teacher. They came for the Harvard of the South.
So basically, I'm a little..... well.... different. Not to mention I'm 5'2'', white, from Utah, and Mormon. (wait. so you, like, don't drink ANY coffee? welll... nope. nope, i don't.)
So, yeah, I may be the minority in more ways than 1. Or in more ways than 800. Either works. But honestly, it's kind of the best thing. People notice the minority. They ask questions. They ask why I'm here for music. They ask if I fiddle (UM. NO.). They ask if I'm going out to party this weekend on Frat Row. When they hear my response, they ask, "Why not?!?!" They ask where the "Mormon Community" is. They ask why I go to the temple with my YSA branch. They ask why I don't drink coffee, they ask why I don't cuss every time I miss a note in orchestra, or stub my toe on the sidewalk. They ask, and ask, and ask, and I tell, and tell, and tell. You know, I heard a little while ago, "The best way to share the gospel is to live it."And I, a little 5'2'', white, Mormon girl from Utah, can boldly attest to that. People notice the peculiarity of this whole Mormon thing, and the best part is? They respect, admire, and commend it.
....which leads me to my next point. Church. "I may be small but wherever I go, the grass grows greener still." Yes, that is the Church in Nashville. We're small, but we're strong. We're a little family. My testimony, and forgive this terribly cheesy analogy, was a tiny little sprout when I left for college, and now it's a flower blossoming into life!! Okay, that was way cheesier than necessary, but I'm bein serious. My testimony is flourishing here. Every time I read my scriptures, or say a prayer, or go to church, or go to institute, or tell someone about Jesus, or decide to follow the Spirit, I literally feel inside of me an anchor getting a little more grounded. I feel myself being devoted more fully to God and His work and I feel like I'm one tiny, little step, yet a step nonetheless, to the celestial kingdom. Like I said, the church is small here. When it's small, you're big. And when you're big, you're not only what YOU depend on, but you're what a lot of people depend on. People look to you to help 'em out, to be an example, to be a witness of Christ. And that's really what it's all about: helpin other people get to Christ. Whether they be the kid in your music theory class, or your visiting teachee, YOU are HERE to HELP CHRIST TELL EVERYONE ABOUT HIM. Kind of cool, right? Right.
Sadly, there are lots of people that don't know about Christ, or just plain don't like Him, but whoever they are, it doesn't really matter, cause in the end, they're a lot like you. They're just tryin to do this whole "life" thing, too. So you keep bein Christ's little helper, and they'll keep doin whatever they do and y'all just love each other for what each other is worth. Which is a lot. Once you decide to love everyone despite differences, man, you find a lot of great people.
Lots of those great people I like to call my friends here at Vanderbilt. I'm meeting some of the greatest people here, guys. People like Liz, and Haley, and Mary Grace, and Henry boy, and Matthew, and Ben, and Melissa, and Allie, and Han, and Imani. Every single one of 'em knows something I don't. And every single one of 'em can share with me something that can change me. Every single person you come in contact with can have an impact if you let them. I love my people here.
At college, this is what I do. I wake up. I try to get up early every day, but sometimes it's all I can do to grab the banana on my desk and chuck it at my alarm clock hoping it pushes snooze to give me a few extra minutes of sleep. And yes this really did happen, and yes it totally worked. Boo yeah!! Anyway, I wake up, I go through my morning routine, I got to the music school, I practice, I go to class, I practice, I study in one of my two favorite spots in the music library, I practice, I eat lunch, I got to chamber, I go to orchestra, I practice a little bit more, I eat dinner, I study a little bit more, I go through my nightly routine, I crawl (literally. crawl.) into bed and I'm asleep in approximately .7 seconds. This is college life as a violin performance major, and I couldn't be happier.
I couldn't be happier. (Unless, of course, I could live 100% on M&M's, but unfortunately, that's not the case, so I just try to deal.) The college life suits me well.
There ain't nowhere I'd rather be. Till next time, y'all.
(p.s. I just ordered cowgirl boots yesterday. also know as, I'm the happiest girl in the whole world.)
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