When you conjure up images of instrumental music lessons for children, either from your own history or popular culture, what comes to mind? Are you haunted by memories of suffering through your scales at the piano before dinner? Do you marvel at the fanatical discipline and precision displayed by a group of Suzuki violin students who aren’t even old enough to tie their shoes? Do you live in fear that one day your precious little youngster will come home announcing she is dead set on playing…heaven forbid…the drums??!
No matter where that question prompted your mind to go, it probably was not in the direction of the instrument I’ve played happily for almost 25 years: the viola. “The viola? What’s that?” you may wonder. (Pro tip: it’s pronounced “vee-Oh-la”) Do a quick Google image search, and you’ll probably be confronted with a lot of pictures of things that look…well, like violins. In fact the viola has a lot in common with the violin, and apart from being slightly larger and lower, it’s played in a very similar fashion. However, there are at least as many reasons why the viola is…different…in ways that could benefit your child.
#1 Less Popularity = More Opportunities
While the viola has grown steadily more popular in recent decades (in the past almost all violists were recruited from the violin ranks), far fewer people choose it than many other instruments. For that reason, violists are much more in demand. Playing the viola (instead of the violin or the flute, for example) could give your child access to ensembles, educators, and institutions that might otherwise remain out of reach—opportunities that open doors to camps, colleges, and beyond.
#2 Less Competition = Less Stress
Since the competition for spots is less intense, there is an easygoing camaraderie among violists. We enjoy being our own offbeat little group and staying connected to the simple joys of playing.
#3 The Value of Teamwork
Because violists are often in an accompanying role, whether in a string quartet or in an orchestra, we grow to appreciate the value of being part of a team. And because of our supporting role and our physical location in ensembles, we get to be “in the middle of it all,” sensing and hearing the whole ensemble in a way other musicians can’t. Violists often make great listeners, mediators and collaborators!
#4 Incentive for Creativity and Independence
If you compiled a list of the great pieces written for piano prior to the 21st Century, it would easily include a thousand examples. But because the viola wasn’t thought of as a solo instrument until the 20th Century, the great solo pieces for the instrument number in the dozens at most. Thus, any violist who wants to step into the spotlight is naturally required to embrace a creative and independent outlook—performing unusual pieces, doing their own research into existing pieces that have been overlooked, commissioning new music, or writing their own!
#5 Communication and Connection
One conversation any violist learns to expect starts like this:
“Excuse me, is that a violin?”
“No, actually. It’s a viola.”
“Oh. What’s that? Is it like the violin?”
“Sort of! But it’s also a bit…different. Let me tell you why!”
Nora Krohn is a professional violist, educator, writer, and co-founder of the New York String Studio. She enjoys playing everything from Baroque opera to garage rock, everywhere from Carnegie Hall to dive bars, and believes in the power of music to inspire positive communication and change on personal and global levels. Her blog on mindful, courageous musicianship, “Living in the Middle Voice” has readership in over 70 countries, she has appeared in concert on four continents, and she enjoys cultivating joy and mastery in all of her students, aged 3 to 60+. Find out more at www.nystringstudio.com or www.norakrohn.com.