Once upon a time, there was a little girl who followed her sister’s footsteps and sat behind a cello. That was until her parents discovered that her mild kyphosis made her cello posture epically ungraceful. Seeking better alignment, she picked up the violin. She spent the next several years convinced its tone was ungracefully tinny. In the fall of seventh grade, her chamber teacher asked if she could play the viola solo in the elementary graduation; turns out, it was just right. My perfect medium ended up being the viola. For the first time, I found myself truly enjoying my instrument, finally discovering one that honored my body and voiced my inner sonority.  Since then, I have dedicated myself religiously to practicing the viola. So much so, that I only required five lessons before gaining admission to the Manhattan School of Music Precollege, where I spent countless hours honing fundamental skills to improve my tone quality. Masterclasses with professional violists shaped my interpretive voice, leading me to focus solely on playing competitively, moving away from precollege. Personally, music is a wordless conversation and my philosophy is to honor each note as it has honored me.