2020-1 Midterm Essay revised

I belong to G half-sharp, a place between G and G#. It came to my mind when I happened to watch 'In the bleak of midwinter' arranged by Jacob Collier on Youtube. For 18 years, I thought that there were only 12 keys in a musical scale - C to B. However, Jacob was using a note that wasn't belong to the traditional 12 keys, a G half-sharp. It was a big stroke to me because, at that time, I felt that I didn't belong anywhere, and it was so similar to G half-sharp. I liked STEM subjects but also liked humanities too, not being extraordinary in one side. Since I was in middle school, I kept considering what I should major in university, and it was so hard because I couldn't even choose a side, a STEM, or humanity. I could finally find an answer to that from Jacob. I was not being to one side. I don't have to - I can just stay in the middle, not G or not G#, but G half-sharp.

I felt that I was connected to Kenneth Cho, a guy that is in my Facebook profile when I was playing a jazz piano song 'Nardis' with him. I played the left-hand part, and he played the right. Since we were first-sight playing, we were not flowing smoothly, but suddenly stopping at some tricky points. At first, our chemistry wasn't good, in front of syncopated rhythms of the song. However, as time passed by, I adapted to Cho's pace, and he did it too - we made harmony and could make one song. We were excited that music is being made by us, anticipating each other's play, and that moment I felt sympatico.

I always measure a person by 'how respectful is he behaving to others?' It was a firm promise to me that the first rule of social relationships is respecting the others. Respecting was to avoid a clash between friends and acquaintances, and it worked perfectly. Surprisingly, it also worked in the world of music. I first disregarded the G half-sharp scale when Jacob first used it. The use of G half sharp felt like it wasn't blending to nowhere, was just like a half-blood prince, Harry Potter, being treated poorly from both wizards and muggles. However, when I started to respect that experimental notes, I could fully understand the music of Jacob, not clashing with his idea, which was once thought of as incomprehensible.

When I got into elementary school, my father made me take the cello lesson, and he started to learn it too. I tried my best to play appropriately, having a hard time relaxing my arm holding a bow, and maintaining fingers pushing strings. Even after a few months, I couldn't make it well. My father said I am not doing my best. I thought he didn't realize how much I practiced. However, when I saw my father's rosin, I could understand him. My rosin was flat as new, but his rosin was making a valley in its center. It meant that he practiced countless times until his rosin was worn out. My rosin still had a gloss on its surface. From looking at two rosins, I found that it was me not realizing how much I practiced.

One minute left. The characters might stay here, but the thoughts I wrote here would evolve.