Heading into our new semesters, filled with new opportunities, fresh emotions, and endless possibilities. The only thing that is in our hands in the constant cycle that is, time, is the choices you get to make, the direction you take, and last but certainly not the least, the friends you hope to spend your time with. For the musician, like the many at Chords & Co. we proudly call our members, an instrument is also like a friend, a comrade. An instrument is something that takes up a significant amount of your time and acts as an amazing outlet for your emotions. And the best part? Whatever time of day it may be, you can always count on your instrument to collect your thoughts, carry out deep introspection, or even just to kill some workfree hours.
First, there is a need to move to a different echelon. You play an instrument and one fine day, you realize that it’s time for you to level up. Your abilities are now beyond the caliber that your current instrument could reciprocate. This need for change may stem from the memories of a time when your fingertips were ripened with callus after playing the guitar, or maybe when your hands trembled, trying to perfect the intricate note play of the piano when you were forced to change yourself around the instrument.
Next up, is the options. You go around, look for the next phase of your musical journey. Of course, you consider a budget. After all, you don’t want to get an instrument whose price itself becomes a cause for continuous concern. Ever sat down with an instrument and your laptop, thinking about which song to cover next? It is much like that, only that it is a hundred times more psychologically challenging. One could look up the specifications for each option online and really understand what each one of them is all about. It is here, where the doubt kicks in. Should one wait for a while until a suitable option presents itself to me? Rather, does it make sense to wait for a while, save up more, and buy a costlier instrument?
Finally, one of these days you may decide to head into a music store and see what the hullabaloo is about for yourself. Upon entering the store, you see thousands of instruments, that on paper, do the exact same thing. However, it is very important to have conviction when it comes to firmly believing that you will find an instrument that suits your ways in style and substance. You go through the barrage of options that a salesman will throw in your direction, trying to make sense of everything at once. At the end of a crazy process that includes going through a number of options you will probably never relate to, it boils down to a handful of choices that seem impossible to distinguish within, and guess what, that’s true. So just take a deep breath and call an audible, because if you’ve spent the time to give this an adequate amount of thought, the end result will never fail you. Once you make that decision, you just know that it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.
These coming weeks will put a number of choices ahead of you, be it your choice of branch, opting for open electives, or even something like staying in your hostels versus getting outside accommodation. Choosing to stay or leave certain clubs may also be on the agenda. What one should know is that certain situations like these don’t have a definitive solution, all you can do is research, take advice, make a call, and stick to it. So do that, and the rest will sort itself out.
And soon, just like the semester that was, all this will be rolled up and tucked away in the form of a fond memory that you’re reminded of every time you listen to the music you absolutely loved jamming to. All you need to do is place yourself in a calm environment, and focus your mind. Once you’ve done that, just go with your gut feeling, because you will always miss out on something to attain another.
Written by Crew Member Rahul Sharma
and Graphics by Aaditya Nair
Chords & Co. 