~from Ha Jin

I think that in the end, my book 4 recital went better than I expected it too, despite the many setbacks I had while preparing for the recital. Originally my recital was scheduled to be in November, 2022, but after fracturing my wrist I wasn’t able to play for many weeks. It was a difficult time, as I had put a lot of effort into my playing prior to the injury and I was not able to perform. Even after getting my cast off, I almost had to relearn how to play my viola, and it was very challenging to get back to the level I had before I got injured. It took many more weeks to even get all of my fingers properly placed on the fingerboard. Then, I had to spend tremendous amounts of time to get other things back, such as my vibrato and my shifting. However, as I reflect back on my experience, I think that this delay of my book recital was for the better. It allowed me to slow down and focus more on the pieces. I practiced the pieces in ways I didn’t before my recital. Therefore, during the recital, I was able to play all of the pieces much more confidently. During the recital, I was anxious as I had been making mistakes in dress rehearsals and when I practiced. However, I told myself not to overthink anything and I was able to perform all of the pieces well. I was relieved to finally have performed. Overall, I think that my recital was very successful, and I learned a lot about myself and perseverance from this experience. I would like to thank everyone who made this book recital possible and those who have always encouraged me.