45 Firsts - Learn an Instrument (1 of 45)

You know how there are some days from your childhood that stand out so keenly in your memory that you can smell the smells, hear the sounds, see the image so clearly that it as if the day, the moment were happening in real time?  That's how I recall the day we selected instruments for band. 

The grade school I attended was small and did not have a band (there were only 16 kids in my class, and only one classroom of students per grade).  Thankfully, school administrators had worked out an agreement with the local public school that we would be able to participate in their band program.

I  recall the band director visiting our school, standing in front of us as we gathered together, sitting on metal folding chairs in the basement of the school, listening to concise explanations of the available instruments.  As each instrument was explained, one or two kids would excitedly announce that THAT is the instrument they wanted to play.  He covered clarinet, trumpet, trombone, flute, french horn.....and I waited.  At one point he held his hands out and asked which of those the rest of us wanted to learn --- those, as if there were no other options.

But wait.  "What about drums?"  No, all the percussion seats were already claimed.  You see, the catch to us being able to join the band was that we were only allowed to select instruments after the public school kids.  If all the allocated seats were already claimed we needed to select another instrument.  This is how I ended up playing the flute.  There were seats available in the flute section.

For the next few years I would occupy that same seat.....the very last chair of the flute section.  I was, quite possibly, the worst flautist of all time.

Along the road I did find my way into the percussion section ---- that development is a story of it's own and perhaps I'll share it another time.

Because of my experience with flute and percussion,  when "learn a new instrument" was added to the suggested list of 45 Firsts, I felt I should look to something beyond woodwinds and percussion and into new territory entirely. 

The instrument that appealed to me more than any other -- cello.  (I attribute this to the amount of time I've spent listening to recordings by Yo-Yo Ma).  

Off I went to Kolacny Music to rent a cello (literally the first time I had ever touched a cello) followed by a visit at Swallow Hill Music Association to register for Cello 1 and I was set!

It's worth noting that at some point between registering for the class and when I attended the very first session I realized that Cello music is written in bass clef vs treble clef.  Hmm looks like this is going to count as two firsts rather than one!

 

Photo after very first cello lesson.  Cellists out there will note that I am not holding the bow properly in this photo......I'm learning, I'm learning!  

Many thanks to Liz Darner (@darnlizzy & @Tanglewood_Hill) who suggested "learn a new instrument" as one of my 45 Firsts.  It's worth noting that while we sometimes took lessons together, Liz was FIRST chair flute to my last chair.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Lawrence University and a Master's degree in Horticultural Studies from the University of Minnesota.  You will likely hear about Liz again when we get to the gardening aspect of the 45 Firsts Project!