Fierce Trouble All Day

Not really. This was something I overheard one fifth grade boy violinist tell another after he'd been shown, by the other boy, how he'd been closing his violin case incorrectly. The second boy gave a little demonstration,and then the first redid his case muttering something about "fierce trouble all day". What a line!

Thing is, for me, it was a dandy day. The upside to having only fifth graders - at least this year- is that there are very few beginners. We are making music from day one, without the usual ritual of those first painful weeks of blowing in headjoints, trying to get a buzz going in a trumpet mouthpiece, learning how to hold a bow, or how to bite the reed just right to play a clarinet (which, don't get me wrong, I love because of the lights that come on in faces when they GET IT). Most of the kids this year had that instruction last year, so here we are, picking up where they left off last year, everyone that much more focussed and able.

Having said that, there are a few beginners strewn in, and here's a funny thing: even without the benefit of last year's instruction, most of them are jumping right in, playing along, making music, seeming to have skipped that first step entirely. This phenomenon deserves further attention.

A couple weeks ago, when I finished the fifth grade class, I realized that I still had a couple hours before I had to get to my middle school class, just up the street. So I approached the principal about adding a fourth grade Beginning Band to the schedule and she was thrilled. She escorted me to the two fourth grade rooms and introduced me to the teachers who were also thrilled. Last week I visited the classes and talked to the students, whose eyes lit up when I told them who I was.

We sent permission slips home and, no surprise, almost every single fourth grader returned a slip. Yesterday I met with them- well half of them. It's always something. One of the two classes was having an art lesson in clay that had had to be postponed due to a district-wide earthquake drill the day before. So those kids couldn't come to music. But those who did filed into the room quietly and sat down and waited for me to tell them my spiel.

My first meeting with students is always about two things: Putting a face to a name on a permission slip, and finding out if the child needs a school instrument or has some other source. At this point, too, I can converse with kids about their choices, talking them out of saxophone, for instance, since that is an instrument in short supply in our inventory, and in high demand among the kids.

Finally all my talking done, it was time to pass out instruments. This group of fourth graders sat patiently as  I called forth each child for his or her contract. I handed an instrument to each child along with the paper, and instructed each to sit and just hold the case, closed. Even with that, the excitement was in the air.

After all the passing out was done, I stood back and looked at them. And then came the question from a soon-to-be trumpet player: Are we a marching band? Not yet, I told him. But if you play all year, remember to bring your instrument on Friday, practice at home every day, and then keep playing next year, when you get to Middle School, there is a good chance you WILL be a marching band. Oh, the excitement then. But there's more, I told them. After Middle School is High School and then the fun really starts. You can play for football games, maybe even the Rose Parade. Sometimes High School Bands go to Disneyworld, or London. They were practically jumping out of their seats when they heard that. And then....when you are done with High School, you can go to College, and learn how to be a Musician for your job, and do music every day. 

This was a great moment yesterday. We have talked a bunch in our Pasadena District about showing students career pathways, and I have always said that you can't just decide in your Junior year to be a musician, if you have never played before. This particular career pathway has to start much earlier.

So here we go, kids. We are on the road, you can decide how far you want to follow it.