Literacy Timeline

By efeng

  • Begin violin

    I start learning the violin at the age of 3. I am so little that I begin learning on a cardboard model violin.

  • Real violin

    I transition to a real violin. The size is tiny, at 1/32.

  • New teacher

    I switch violin teachers when my family moves from Rochester to North Oaks.

  • New teacher part 2

    I switch violin teachers again because the previous violin teacher was not very good.

  • Begin GTCYS

    I join Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies in third grade. I am the youngest person in the lowest orchestra.

  • Full size violin

    I have now progressed all the way to a full size violin!

  • New teacher part 3

    I switch teachers again because I have had the same teacher for a long time and feel ready for a change in teaching style.

  • First full symphony

    I play my first full symphony (Dvorak's 9th, very famous). I will go on to play four more full symphonies in high school (Tchaikovsky's 6th, Schubert's 8th, Brahms' 1st, and Mahler's 1st). All are among the most famous Romantic-era symphonies.

  • Reach Symphony

    In my seventh year of GTCYS, I have finally placed into the highest orchestra level.

  • New violin

    I purchase an extremely expensive violin because I am outplaying my old instrument.

  • Europe tour

    I go on tour with Mounds View's orchestra in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

  • Italy tour

    I am supposed to go on tour in Italy with GTCYS, but it is cancelled due to COVID. Rescheduled to 2021, fingers crossed.