Tonight was the last performance by Youngest Son's theatre group. They did a really good job and no one forgot too many lines or had to ad-lib much. Everything ran very well and I'm very proud of my little thespian.
I'm also incredibly proud of Youngest Son today because he had been selected months ago by his band instructor to attend the District Band Contest and perform a solo and in a sextet. He's been really nervous about it and today was contest day. The scoring scale they use is from 1 to 10 with 1 being the best. You can earn a 1+ if you're really, really good. Youngest Son received a 2+ on his trumpet solo, just barely missing the 1-level score. He also received a 1 on his brass sextet's performance. The only criticism given by the judge to the sextet was for the baritone player to remember to not overplay the French horn. They did an awesome job!
Then in the afternoon, the rest of the band arrived to join those who were there for solos and ensembles and the entire concert band played two songs. The group received a 1 rating for their performance. Pretty good for a group that has never been to a big contest like that before!
At the moment, Youngest Son and Husband are at the Cast Party for the play. I would go but I don't know the family well and am not sure how they'd feel about having Celeste at their house. I have no problems going to public places because she's a service dog, but I don't like to just invite my shedding partner into someone's private home and there wasn't time to coordinate with them on whether or not they have pets, allergies, etc.
But that's okay -- I couldn't wait to get home to make this post! I'm so very, very proud of Youngest Son. It's been a really big day for him!
Showing posts with label trumpet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trumpet. Show all posts
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Youngest Son having a busy day?
I don't remember having to be so busy when I was 13 years old! Oh, I'm sure back then I thought I was the busiest and most important person on earth, but looking back I certainly don't remember it that way. Many people will say that our kids today are busier because there's so much more technology and that they're having more and more to do because of school, sports, and civic groups.
If technology was really the reason our kids are busier, then we should have been completely overwhelmed way-back-when! We had to actually write our term papers out by longhand. There were no computer programs to put together nice slide shows or do the graphics for us. If you were artistically challenged, you dreaded any project that required poster board and magic markers.
Most days when Youngest Son comes home from school he doesn't have any homework. I remember walking home from school with a full backpack and my arms full of books so I could complete an evening's assignments. He brings home his trumpet and maybe a worksheet that he's completed that day in class. I'd be really concerned but his grades are high and he's on the "A" Honor Roll each quarter.
Today, however, he was busy after school because it's time for the Spring Theatre Auditions at school. They did the musical "Aladdin Jr." back in November and Youngest Son portrayed The Sultan. He did a really good job. Today he auditioned for a part in "The Borrowers." The director is not pleased that the latest Disney film happens to be based on "The Borrowers" and that the kids will try to imitate it instead of actually working on their roles. Youngest Son paired-up with one of the girls that he's friends with for their read-throughs. Both of them auditioned for lead roles and I wish them the best of luck. I think he only got the nerve to ask her to audition with him because her ex-boyfriend (who's a good friend of his, too) is out-of-town and had already auditioned.
Tomorrow he's got band rehearsals after school. He's been selected to go to the State Band Conference as a soloist and as part of a sextet. He practices at home for an hour each day and is really nervous that the rest of his sextet hasn't been practicing. I told him that when he's there tomorrow to play his best and if the other five aren't as ready as he is, then to keep playing the best he can and show them that they need to step-up and get ready 'cause the contest is in April.
But even with these events and others upcoming in the month (as well as working on the Community Theatre production so that he has some backstage experience), he still has plenty of time to play video games, read lots of books, and surf the Internet (with parental supervision, of course). People say kids today are too busy. I just don't see it. Then again, I'm glad that he's got time to do things he likes as well as having time to rest properly. The typical zombie teenager is not a pleasant sight in the morning -- Eldest Son was a prime example of that and I'd like to not have to deal with it again.
If technology was really the reason our kids are busier, then we should have been completely overwhelmed way-back-when! We had to actually write our term papers out by longhand. There were no computer programs to put together nice slide shows or do the graphics for us. If you were artistically challenged, you dreaded any project that required poster board and magic markers.
Most days when Youngest Son comes home from school he doesn't have any homework. I remember walking home from school with a full backpack and my arms full of books so I could complete an evening's assignments. He brings home his trumpet and maybe a worksheet that he's completed that day in class. I'd be really concerned but his grades are high and he's on the "A" Honor Roll each quarter.
Today, however, he was busy after school because it's time for the Spring Theatre Auditions at school. They did the musical "Aladdin Jr." back in November and Youngest Son portrayed The Sultan. He did a really good job. Today he auditioned for a part in "The Borrowers." The director is not pleased that the latest Disney film happens to be based on "The Borrowers" and that the kids will try to imitate it instead of actually working on their roles. Youngest Son paired-up with one of the girls that he's friends with for their read-throughs. Both of them auditioned for lead roles and I wish them the best of luck. I think he only got the nerve to ask her to audition with him because her ex-boyfriend (who's a good friend of his, too) is out-of-town and had already auditioned.
Tomorrow he's got band rehearsals after school. He's been selected to go to the State Band Conference as a soloist and as part of a sextet. He practices at home for an hour each day and is really nervous that the rest of his sextet hasn't been practicing. I told him that when he's there tomorrow to play his best and if the other five aren't as ready as he is, then to keep playing the best he can and show them that they need to step-up and get ready 'cause the contest is in April.
But even with these events and others upcoming in the month (as well as working on the Community Theatre production so that he has some backstage experience), he still has plenty of time to play video games, read lots of books, and surf the Internet (with parental supervision, of course). People say kids today are too busy. I just don't see it. Then again, I'm glad that he's got time to do things he likes as well as having time to rest properly. The typical zombie teenager is not a pleasant sight in the morning -- Eldest Son was a prime example of that and I'd like to not have to deal with it again.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Momentarily making music memories
Another day of not much happening. Our theatre auditions last night (and the ones for tonight) had to be cancelled because whomever was responsible for posting the information to the public didn't and not enough people knew about it. Today I made sure that the event is listed on Facebook, through the electronic version of the local newspaper, and on the local forums for events in our area. I can do those for free, so that's my contribution. As was so wisely said in "The Producers" -- "Never put your own money in a show!"
So, today I don't have to worry about rushing-off to auditions and will have more time to help make sure Youngest Son practices his trumpet for his solo and sextet for the State Band Competitions coming up in April. I'm thrilled he's getting to go and even more thrilled that he's really excited about playing there. I remember when I was younger and in band. I went to State a few times as a soloist and with the entire concert and marching bands. Perhaps I should have taken it more seriously and I would have done a lot better. Then again, the ADD was already set-in and I couldn't decide which instrument to play more. I started with flute but that bored me after I achieved first chair. I taught myself to play all of the saxophone family, percussion instruments, and even the entire clarinet family. It was very hard trying to play the contra-alto clarinet when I was too short to reach the mouthpiece as it stood on the floor. I could never get the right amount of pillows or phone books in my chair to have me seated comfortably, but it was a challenge and I wanted to conquer it.
Looking back, after learning all of those instruments -- plus the B-flat scale on the French horn, playing classical guitar, and taking the requisite piano lessons all of my friends and I seemed required to do -- if I could have just picked one I might have been pretty good. I became our conductor's "jack of all trades" in high school. He wanted a certain instrument added to the band that no one else was playing, so he'd hand me one from the school's vault where old instruments go to die and have me teach myself. Usually it worked out well. I didn't make us sound worse, at least. However, the oboe and I fought for about a month until I thought I was going to pop my eyeballs out of their sockets trying to play the double reed. That one I happily gave back and said I wasn't going learn it.
Maybe someday I'll start playing again. Eldest Son played the trombone but tired of it after high school. We used it and my old flute (couldn't believe the amount of money they gave me in trade for the old thing!) to purchase Younger Son's trumpet. For now, I just listen to the soundtrack of music I love in my mind and dream of being the person playing or conducting and feeling the goosebumps arise. It's cheaper and doesn't annoy the neighbors.
So, today I don't have to worry about rushing-off to auditions and will have more time to help make sure Youngest Son practices his trumpet for his solo and sextet for the State Band Competitions coming up in April. I'm thrilled he's getting to go and even more thrilled that he's really excited about playing there. I remember when I was younger and in band. I went to State a few times as a soloist and with the entire concert and marching bands. Perhaps I should have taken it more seriously and I would have done a lot better. Then again, the ADD was already set-in and I couldn't decide which instrument to play more. I started with flute but that bored me after I achieved first chair. I taught myself to play all of the saxophone family, percussion instruments, and even the entire clarinet family. It was very hard trying to play the contra-alto clarinet when I was too short to reach the mouthpiece as it stood on the floor. I could never get the right amount of pillows or phone books in my chair to have me seated comfortably, but it was a challenge and I wanted to conquer it.
Looking back, after learning all of those instruments -- plus the B-flat scale on the French horn, playing classical guitar, and taking the requisite piano lessons all of my friends and I seemed required to do -- if I could have just picked one I might have been pretty good. I became our conductor's "jack of all trades" in high school. He wanted a certain instrument added to the band that no one else was playing, so he'd hand me one from the school's vault where old instruments go to die and have me teach myself. Usually it worked out well. I didn't make us sound worse, at least. However, the oboe and I fought for about a month until I thought I was going to pop my eyeballs out of their sockets trying to play the double reed. That one I happily gave back and said I wasn't going learn it.
Maybe someday I'll start playing again. Eldest Son played the trombone but tired of it after high school. We used it and my old flute (couldn't believe the amount of money they gave me in trade for the old thing!) to purchase Younger Son's trumpet. For now, I just listen to the soundtrack of music I love in my mind and dream of being the person playing or conducting and feeling the goosebumps arise. It's cheaper and doesn't annoy the neighbors.
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