Tomorrow, I’ll perform and submit my final project for my musicianship growth plan. Although I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no Vance Joy- my chord transitions are still a bit wonky to say the least- I feel like I have grown a lot as a musician over the semester!
One of the biggest hurdles I had to overcome was self-doubt. I was constantly down talking my ukulele skills and felt incredibly conscious that my friends and roommates would somehow judge my practicing. These fears were, of course, irrational, but act as proof of just how uneasy I felt playing ukulele.
Now, I am able to tune the instrument without a tuning app (!!) and play in front of people I know without worrying about what they might think. To me, this change is indicative of tremendous change and growth and I am proud of how far I have come!
In addition, I’ve broken my bad habit of holding the strings down with my thumb (which may be saving me from carpal tunnel syndrome). And, most important of all, I ENJOY playing ukulele! Although I have reached the end of my growth plan, I know that I am just beginning in my ukulele playing journey. It has become my new social distancing habit and I’ve learned to use my practice time as a way to destress. I’ve already planned what songs I want to learn next.
See you tomorrow in my ukulele video!
-Katie
