Viola

   When we moved into our house we put the things we did not use a lot down in our storage room. One of those things was my viola. It was the one that I played when I was in high school. I had always intended to play it again someday when I wasn't so busy.
   A couple years ago I found it in the basement. Our basement is not a good place for a wooden instrument. It's too dry. I also didn't like the thought of her sitting alone in our storeroom when she could be with the rest of our instruments in the music room. I brought it upstairs, checked to make sure that she had no large cracks. I put her in a corner by the book care where she wouldn't get knocked around.
  A few weeks ago I saw her sitting in the corner. She had been sitting there patiently waiting for me to get enough free time to start playing her again. I felt bad. We have a rule about instruments in this house. All the instruments get played unless there is a pressing reason not to. The only exceptions to this rule are C's closed back banjo and electric guitar. (C doesn't like the sound of that banjo and the electric needs an amp.)
  This meant that I really needed to take the viola out and do something with her. I actually had the perfect project for her. C is working on a banjo arrangement on a Latter-day Saint hymn called "If You Could Hie to Kolob". It's a lovely tune. I heard him practice it once and thought it would sound really good with a sting instrument playing behind the banjo. Instantly I thought of the viola. It has the same range as the banjo. I could almost hear in my head how it would sound.
  I enjoyed the thought that I could hear something like that in my head. It doesn't happen very often to me. Usually it's C who can hear things in his head like that. Then I shook myself out of my little reverie. If I was going to play the viola then I needed to take her in for a check up. She hadn't been played in many years. She had also been stored under substandard conditions.
   Fortunately there was a good music store nearby. C takes his guitars there of restringing and other maintenance work. I knew they worked on other string instruments. I packed the viola up in her case and took her down.
  The luthier opened her case, took her out and inspected her carefully. I had already done this, but I knew the luthier could find things that I might miss. After her inspection, she told me that there were no cracks or open seams. She suggested a new tailpiece with fine tuners on it. She also said that the bridge was a bit warped and would need replacement. She recommended that the bow be rehaired as well. I told her that I wanted a new shoulder rest. We also discussed types of rosin as the cake I had was in pretty bad shape. (I never knew there was special viola rosin.) I was grateful that these were the only needed repairs. I left the viola in the capable hands of the luthier, knowing that she would be in good hands.
  The next challenge would be finding time to play her. Free time is a rarity in my life, but I decided long ago that if something was important enough to me I would make time to do it. I thought maybe some sort of rotating practice schedule might work. Practicing on two instruments for 15-20 minutes on a regular basis might be better than trying to do ten minutes on each instrument daily. I could also spend less time surfing on the computer. I felt confident that my time crunch could be managed.
  Earlier this week the music shop called and said the viola was ready. I was eager to pick her up. When I got to the music store the luthier opened the viola's case. She looked lovely. The fine tuners fit her perfectly. The new bow hair was nice and white. I paid the luthier and went home.
  This afternoon I got the viola out to show C. I took her out and put the shoulder rest on her. I tighten the bow and rubbed the new cake of rosin on it. C and I tuned her. Then I played a little bit. I was sorely out of practice. It made me feel good that I could still play even though it wasn't the best. All I needed was practice. She sounded so good. I had forgotten how much I love the sound of the viola. even though she wasn't some hand made heirloom instrument, she still sounds lovely. It would be a joy to play her again.
   C wanted to try it. I showed him how to hold the viola and the bow. He played a little bit. It wasn't bad. For someone who had never picked up an instrument like that he didn't do too badly at all.
  I think she is a fine addition to our family of instruments. It will be an adventure to hear what we can do with her.