“’you talk as slowly as making a monthly payment installment.’ Someone said to me once.
When I was a child, I developed a stutter which continued into adulthood, constantly depriving me of proper self-expression and the freedom of speaking.
During middle school, when I was reading in class, a kid shouted at me “haha! See you after class!” And the teacher did nothing. Because of the stutter, my classmates in school never spoke to me. I was alone during all breaks.
Music became the only thing that keeps me moving forward. Its continuous flow compensates for the irregular flow of my speech. Stuttering causes a roller coaster of negative emotions and uneasiness. Music heals all these feelings and transforms them into positive ones. Music removes social awkwardness as I have never succeeded in public speaking, even to a small group of people.
When I perform, music smoothes the communication between me and the audience. It is always challenging for me to accomplish something in speech alone, even in the simplest speaking situations. As I am unable to produce sounds, music produces these sounds for me. When I hesitate, music doesn’t hesitate. When I am silent, music speaks.
Things finally changed when I started university. I became stronger, and I started to engage myself in society regardless of whether I am accepted or not. And now, I have lots of friends who like me and respect me.
In this video, I present to you a blend of my two most favorite music works: The second movement of Mozart Concerto No.23 and Ave Maria by Giulio Caccini.”
– Maya Saadeh, masters student in piano performance at the Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland.
