So, I needed to raise five hundred dollars for Suzuki camp in August. Although babysitting is lots of fun, it wasn't bringing in enough money fast enough. Several fellow violin students had gone downtown to play their violins and made some good money. I will confess it took me six months to get up the courage to try it (For three months the snowy weather was a good excuse, however). Finally, after talking to several people about it, I decided to try playing for just one, tiny hour.
Mom dropped me off at the corner, and I walked up the street to where my friends had told me was the best place. Phew, there was a bench open, so I set my case on it and got out my violin. Better start with something super easy, yet cheerful, I thought. So the clear strains of Minuet 2 floated out into the air. My teacher had told me to smile, so I tried but ended up with some sort of weird lip-stretching. I licked them, and tried again, this time achieving a small grin. The piece ended, and I quickly started Musette. I kept trying to smile, and finally after my fifth piece I could do it without appearing to be an escapee from an insane asylum. I was starting to relax. Several people had smiled back at me. Well, even if I don't make any money, at least I've made people smile today.
Then, wonder of wonders, a man walking up the street dropped three quarters into my case. Bless you! I cried silently. My playing took on new zest as I saw those three quarters. Then a rather tough-looking man came by and dropped a few dollar bills in. "Keep music in your life," he told me, and walked on. Soon people were getting the idea, and dollar bills started filling up my case. I played piece after piece, repeating my favorite ones over, and smiling as wide as I could.
Eventually someone came up to me, and told me I better do something before my money started blowing away. I looked down at my case, and to my surprise, I couldn't see the bottom! Rummaging through the compartments, I found a few cases of old rosin, and I threw those in to weigh the money down. Before enough time had passed to seem an hour, I saw Mom driving down the road. I finished my piece, and packed up. Counting my money in the car, I had made forty-three dollars!
As of today, I am about two hundred dollars closer to my goal. Now all I have to worry about is practicing! God is so good!
"Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name." Psalm 103:1
