I Speak Fluently in Music- Ava Mazzarella

This blog post uses the Classification Expository writing style, which we learned in class!

Throughout my life, I have picked up a lot of different instruments. I can proudly say that I'm a musician, who also listens to a wide variety of music genres and types. Music takes up a lot of my life and the time I spend playing those different instruments has increased as I have gotten older. These instruments are all unique in their own ways, as their sounds and ways to play are all different.

To start off, I play the piano. My mom started teaching me this instrument when I was in the first grade, as she is an advanced piano player, who's played for most of her life. My family inherited my grandmother's piano after she moved out of the house that my mom grew up in. The piano is an acoustic instrument that uses strings, which are struck by wooden hammers covered in soft wool or leather. When struck, the string vibrates, creating a note or sound. It is used by pressing keys on an attached keyboard. Pedals underneath the keyboard are used for various techniques such as dampening the sound (making it quieter) or sustaining the sound (making the notes play out for longer). When the key is released, a damper stops the strings' vibration and ends the sound. Although my mother's piano teaching days are over, I still play to this day, occasionally playing for my school band throughout middle school. I am constantly trying to learn new songs. Recent songs that I have learned consist of "Moonlight Sonata" by Ludwig van Beethoven and "Fur Elise" also by Ludwig van Beethoven.

Growing up in a musical family, they encouraged me to join my elementary school's band when the time came in fourth grade. I agreed, and I chose to pick up the flute. This was an easy decision, as my mom played the flute throughout middle school and some of highschool before me, and I could use her old flute. The flute is part of the woodwind instrument family that produces its sound using the flow of air, rather than a reed (clarinets and saxophones use these). The flute has a hole at the head of the instrument, which players blow across to produce sound, changing pitch by opening and closing different holes in the body of the flute. I continued to play flute throughout middle school and I was able to make it into our Honors Wind Ensemble Highschool Band this year! Although my parents don't enjoy the high pitched, squeaky sounds that come out of it every so often, it's a very beautiful instrument that takes a lot of practice and commitment.

Contrary to the last two instruments, I haven't been playing this next one for very long. During quarantine, I decided to pick up the guitar. My brother had gotten a small guitar for Christmas a couple years ago, but never picked it up because he didn't have anybody to teach him how to play. Due to the increased amount of time I had suddenly found all throughout quarantine, I decided to teach myself how to play with an app that I could download on my phone. Similar to the piano, the guitar is also a strings instrument. The player uses both hands to get out a sound from this instrument, using one hand to strum or pluck its six strings and the other to press the strings against the guitar neck's frets to create different chords and pitches. The guitar's vibrating strings produces its sound by echoing throughout the hollow chamber of the body of the guitar (or through a speaker in the electrical guitar's case). I have had the hardest time learning how to play this instrument, as the tips of my fingers have become super sore over the past couple of weeks due to its rough strings. I just learned how to play "Cigarette Daydreams" by Cage the Elephant. :)

Yes, I have picked up yet another instrument in the past month. For Christmas, I received a ukulele from my grandparents and this one has to be my favorite instrument that I've learned to play! It's very similar to the guitar, but basically a mini version. Originated in Hawaii, the ukulele has four strings which are played the same way that the guitar is. I must say, the ukulele is much easier to play than the guitar. The strings are much less rough on my fingers and its notes are easier to play, as well! I could catch on so much faster than I did when learning the guitar. I've been learning some songs like "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You" by Elvis Presley, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, and "July" by Noah Cyrus.

So, who knows? I might pick up more instruments throughout my life, but I'm so happy that all this music is a part of it