A Deaf Musician’s Awakening

Alex was a musician, born with a unique talent to see music in everything. He had developed an extraordinary
connection with music when he was a little child, being amazed by how different the chords and notes sounded,
and how music could express a person’s inner self. Alex’s first violin was a weathered, hand-me-down instrument,
that had loosened strings and a scratched surface. He fell in love with it instantly, as it held a special place in his
heart as his first ever violin. Back then, he used to watch the musicians on the streets: as they played the
instruments that brought them joy and encouraged other people to do the same- it inspired him. The city was his
constant inspiration: the moving cars, the rhythmic footsteps of pedestrians and the whispers of the wind-it all
amazed him, and he wished to translate that beaty into chords someday, as did the musicians on the streets.

So, he worked hard to achieve that dream. He dedicated himself to constant practice, until playing the violin was
almost instinctual, the only thing his hands knew what to do. He wrote his own music, although he didn’t release it
to the public. He guarded his music, sharing it only with his inner circle—his family and a trusted old friend. These
were the people he could depend on, the ones he held the most faith in. He had no desire to produce music for the
public; his intention was to create music for himself, whether it was beautiful or whimsical.

However, life had other plans. He was born with a loss of hearing, and his condition worsened every day. He was
devastated. The hours he had once spent on practicing countless notes, chords, and compositions on various
instruments; it felt like a waste. Music, which had been an important aspect in his life, was now not so important
for him anymore. The melodies he used to play so effortlessly, now sounded distant and bland. He felt lost and
hopeless, the source that made him the happiest was now gone.

Eventually, his teachers noticed the change. The absence of a spark that had once defined him as a prodigy. They
pulled him aside one day and told him all about his journey again. They reminded him of the dream that had once
burned brightly in his eyes, inspiring people with his own music, and making his close ones happy. However, it
wasn’t those words that caused his passion to reappear.

It was an accidental encounter in the park that caused him to overthink his decision and gain interest for music
once again. The stranger seemed almost captivated by the music he was playing on his violin, with tears in the
unknown woman’s eyes. The melody flowed through his fingers, remembering the notes he had played a while
ago, long before he had lost his hearing. He had finally realized that he had achieved his dream. To inspire other
people, regardless of whether they are musicians or not. He had once again recalled the musicians he saw on the
streets just about 11 years ago. He had gained a passion from them, and now has passed it on to another person.
He had come full circle, from being inspired by other people to being one of the ones who inspired others, he
thought, just as the melody flowed into the heart of the one that listened.