My mother had always told me, “Failure is just room for opportunity.” For the longest time, I disagreed with this, thinking that failure is purely dishonorable. Failure yields shame and sorrow. I never truly understood what she meant until I played a violin solo. Since the day I performed that solo, I began to believe in the power of failure.
Previously, last year, I entered a solo performance at the ISSMA Solo and Ensemble Contest for the very first time. I stepped into the building, anxious yet excited, to play Seitz’s violin concerto. I started excellently, and I felt lost in the music until I made my first mistake early on; I stumbled on a series of notes with a shaky bow. I felt the blood rush away from my face as I let this mistake take over my mind. My musical tone and emotion were traded out for the everlasting desire to get out of the judge’s sight, and I had even rushed the tempo slightly in a desperate attempt. I finished fine, but it certainly had more potential. When I finished, I did receive a gold medal for my performance, but that did not mean it was perfect. The majority of the judge’s criticisms were, as suspected, my interpretation of the piece, which was slightly dull. I left the building feeling disappointed by my performance.
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Afterward, I stood in my living room, vigorously honing my bow articulation and dexterity. My shoulder ached, but I did not care. In the end, I tested my skills by playing Seitz's violin concerto once again, and I had surely grown. It was then I realized that I would have never been able to improve as much as I did in that one session of practice if I had not failed. I would have never learned the importance of adapting under stress if I had not failed. Ever since then, what I had once looked at with disgust was looked at with appreciation. My philosophy of life changed. I began to believe that failure is needed for success. I realized that failure is only a failure when one does to see the opportunity it holds.
Today, I believe in failure, and I believe in the power it holds. When I get poor grades, I learn my weaknesses and set goals to improve instead of loathing its displeasing score. When I perform with the violin, I learn from my mistakes from past performances and change them to play with confidence. From failure, I learn. Now, I understand the meaning of my mother's words. Failure really is just room for opportunity.
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