And you think you've got it bad!

Orangeboy has joined the band.  He's playing trumpet and his sister is going to play flute.  We're talking about Beginning Band where they have not taken previous lessons or had any previous musical experience.  The reality is, that at this point, they are only taking a class about band and not actually playing in a band yet.  They took their instruments to school for the first time on Monday.  Currently the class is learning how to take care of their instruments by not dropping them, tossing them into bookbags, hitting people with them or playing parade in the parking lot.  They are also learning fingerings and how to play a so-called tuning note.

The rest of the class may be just fingering around, but that hasn't stopped Orangeboy from being a good band member for the last two weeks.  He has "practiced" on his trumpet every day for 30 minutes.  No, he hasn't learned to play a scale, or different notes, or read music; but he blows on his trumpet each afternoon for 30 conscientious minutes.  I think he has mastered the blaring sound.

I sure hope they learn a scale soon.