So the other day I was trying out instruments trying to see if I wanted to play drums (of course, who wouldn't) trumpet, or sax a ma phone...I knew going in (in 6th grade) that I would only play one of these 3 instruments. From that day on through my whole college career I played...wait for it...the trombone. See it's not about what instrument I wanted to play it was about the instrument "that best suited me" the one "that called my name" and "fit best with the inner me"...apparently I since I have large lips and long arms and that was that.
Why do I bring this up, well yesterday my son got to go try out instruments that he would like to play going forward. When I was going through the trial period I was only allow to choose; Orchestra (in 5th grade) or if I missed that boat, Band in 6th. But he got to go from room to room trying out Orchestra, Brass and Winds, he doesn't have the required 2 years of piano to play percussion.
So there we were, he immediately went to the Orchestra room to play the instrument that he has been telling us he would be playing for the last 5 years, the Violin. We are excited to let him try it out but kept trying to make sure that he had an open mind. There were about 5 kids trying the Violin so we said, "oh here's the Bass, the one instrument he said he wouldn't want to play because it was too big, but he tried it. Then we went to Violin, Viola, and Chello. As we were reluctantly leaving that room he declared that he liked the Bass the best...this floored the Mrs. and I, but regardless it's onto the Band rooms. First the Brass section, there he tried the trumpet (gave him a headache) French horn, not to keen on it but I will say for his first time...nice sound out of that. Then over to trombones...he played like a pro- no not really- but since he had picked up mine in the past he was comfortable with the process more than any others. "Eh" was the response that we got from that...
To the winds. Cool thing about the boy is that he is good at not get stuck in stereotypes. He had no reservations about sitting down at the flute section and trying it out...ultimately he thinks it's too hard, he was dizzy, and didn't think it would be a good fit. We skipped the clarinet section and moved onto the Sax a ma phone. His buddy was there- they sat next to each other and put a good 5 minutes or more on it and even learned H
ot Crossed Buns. I think that may have been where he ended up if he would have not have had an orchestra choice.
So back to the Orchestra room for one more run through. He retried all the instruments and declared that he really liked the Bass best but that the Violin was a close second. We're OK with that.
So looking back on my experiences; band, marching band, jazz band and pep band, I wish he would have chosen band but I am sure that he will find his nitch and will be able to tell tons of stories about the other day when he became an Orch Dork.
To the winds. Cool thing about the boy is that he is good at not get stuck in stereotypes. He had no reservations about sitting down at the flute section and trying it out...ultimately he thinks it's too hard, he was dizzy, and didn't think it would be a good fit. We skipped the clarinet section and moved onto the Sax a ma phone. His buddy was there- they sat next to each other and put a good 5 minutes or more on it and even learned Hot Crossed Buns. I think that may have been where he ended up if he would have not have had an orchestra choice.
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