Venting, Tchaikovsky-Style

Tonight, I found myself in one of those moods again. You know, the ones that make you want to break everything around you, or run around screaming, or bawl your eyes out like a three-year-old. Or a combination of all three. But seeing as the house around me isn’t mine (and thus neither the things around me), the first really wasn’t an option. And having scarred my poor boyfriend quite enough with my mood swings already, I decided the second and third weren’t so wise either. 

So, I picked up my violin to play some Tchaikovsky. Naturally.

I’ve been doing this for years now, venting my feelings through music. And no, not of the heavy metal variety. For me, letting my negative emotions flow into creativity certainly seems a lot healthier than the alternatives that some people take; vandalism, drugs and violence, just to name a few. And before you protest, yes, I do know that these actions are often influenced by difficult family circumstances. I know I have been most fortunate to have parents who could afford to send me to expensive violin lessons and take me to professional concerts.

Actually, this reminds me of a conversation I had with my boss at work a few weeks ago. Having just had the shop window broken and the nearby bus stop smashed for the umpteenth time, we came to this simple conclusion:

Instead of wasting thousands of dollars every week repairing broken windows, painting over graffiti and replacing defaced property, why doesn’t the government put the money toward more free youth programs? More sports clubs, music groups, dance classes, whatever. Just so that bored or angry teenagers (like myself, at times) can find a creative outlet for their emotions. The result? More education, less crime. It’s a win-win situation, isn’t it?

 

But I digress. So, by the time I’d poured my heart and soul into Tchaik’s Violin Concerto, Monti’s Czardas, and Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen, I was feeling a whole lot better. And I’d made some beautiful music (or perhaps that’s just the boy flattering me again) in the process.

Take that, hormones!