On picking up my viola again after nearly 20 years, part 1. Guest post by Black Bear

 

When I was ten years old, my school started a new instrumental music program.  They hired a young, enthusiastic guy named Mr. S to mastermind it; he was put in charge of the middle and high school band/orchestra classes, and he also was charged with implementing a beginning strings group in grades 5-6.  At the time, I had a burning desire to play the string bass.  It's BIG, it's tall (I was too, at the time—I topped out a year or two later and most folks caught up with me, to my great...