End of the Junior High Era

Today was Youngest Son's last day in junior high. Next year he'll be a freshman. Lord help us all.

I'm incredibly proud of him and am very, very happy that he's had some great experiences and made new friends since we moved to this town three years ago. He's been in three school theatre productions; he's participated in All-District Honors Band (was first-chair trumpet, too); attended the State Band Contest; has made the honor roll; and has a gang of friends that he really enjoys hanging-out with and who enjoy having him with them. As a kid who moved from school-to-school, I know it can be hard to fit-in when you're the new kid on the block. Youngest Son learned a lot more at a faster pace when he was homeschooled, but I agree with him that his past three years in public school have helped him grow in many different ways.

I'm especially proud of him as he has received the President's Education Awards Program Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence. To qualify for it, he had to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or more over his junior high career and test above the average and rank in the top of the State's Assessment Program that's given every year. He received a very nice certificate and a lapel pin that he can put on his jacket when he goes to high school. He pointed out the "autograph" of President Obama on the certificate and I told him that an auto-pen did that. He said he was surprised they just didn't Xerox it and is not impressed by it. He was actually disappointed because he didn't receive a plaque for best brass student in band and was awarded for his academics. I reminded him that it will be his academics that helps him get into the college he wants and will follow him through life. A plaque won by your "nemesis" whose parents can afford for him to take private lessons in order to be better than Youngest Son will only someday be an unwieldy paperweight that your children won't even be able to get rid of in a yard sale.

I think he feels a lot better now. And he enjoyed his last day there. No, he didn't participate with one group that wore the colorful Morph Suits that everyone was buying around Halloween and at least he wasn't dared like one of his other friends to come dressed like a princess today. He made sure he had phone/text numbers for his friends so they can get together over the summer before high school band camp starts in July.

Eldest Son texted me today that he's learned how to weld in his sculpture class in college. I told him I was proud and that the welding experience can also be used in other jobs as well. He hopes to finish his classes soon so that he can graduate in the next semester or two.

One going into high school and one leaving college soon....where does the time go?

Am-Dram: Junior Edition -- It's Over!!!

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!

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.