Music To My Ears

It's the last week of school. So, there are lots of end-of-year events. Tonight was my nephew Cody's band concert.

We got to go to Cody's concert back in December and their band has made some great improvements. It's really very fun to be able to go and watch my nephew's events. We've been to his football games, saw his US state display at school, and his band concerts. I love that we are here and can do that.

So please understand that the rest of this post is written in love.

I think it's impossible to listen to beginning musicians and not smile. They try so hard and come a long way in a short period of time. But they are still beginners. Of course, Cody rocks. He's related to me, so he has musical talent out the wazoo.

I never really knew that listening to beginning musicians could be so.... interesting. I began my musical endeavors in third grade. I played flute and joined the school choir. I loved it all. My band class was too slow for me, so I went ahead in the band book and taught myself. My choir teacher discovered that I was a decent alto. I thought I was pretty hot stuff.

Then, about six years later I was watching an episode of The Carol Burnett Show with my parents. There was a sketch showing a close up of a few parents in the audience of their children's band concert. The lights dim and the band begins. Listen with me: the flat notes, the off rhythm instruments, the squeaking clarinets. All the camera shows throughout the entire sketch are the faces of the parents with their plastered-on smiles and shudders as the music plays. Hilarious!! However, I was crushed when my parents revealed to me the truth that the sketch was actually very, very real. And here I'd thought I was an incredible musician.

As I listened to the concert tonight, I really loved being able to see the improvement from the band. They obviously worked hard and did a great job.

And in the back of my mind, I tried to suppress the thought of Carol Burnett.