A Long Time Ago, A Few Decades Away....

A long time ago, a few decades away there was a cute, little freckle faced girl who wanted to be in the band.  Her parents were very supportive as they knew she found her love for music.  This wasn't surprising to her parents as this precious little girl would sing and dance in her room for hours.  So the day came for this little girl to sign up to play an instrument.  Her band directors had picked her to play the clarinet, but the mom of this little girl wasn't too excited about that (and honestly, neither was the little girl) so she was changed to play the flute.  This girl wasn't too bad of a player when it came to the flute and she played all throughout her junior high school years.  

High school band camp came in August of 1991 and this young girl was very nervous.  During band camp, this musical girl marched more than she could have ever imagined and drank more water than she had her entire life.  "Go back to picture number 1" was said over and over.  There was minimal talking from the members of the band, but lots of discussions between the directors and the assistants.  

There was one specific meeting of the minds that changed this little flute player's life.....

Band Director:  Alright folks.....take a break, but I need you all to think about something....I need four people.  Four people that would like to switch from their instruments to the drum line.  

.....this little girl thought a minute....how cool would it be to do something different?  The drum line....I mean, a girl in the drum line on the field would be so amazing!  The girl thought and thought.  And during the break, she walked boldly up to the band director.....

Girl:  Mr. Simpson, Mr. Hale...I volunteer to be in the drum line.

Mr. Simpson:  Well....you're mother is going to kill me.....but I'll take you...just let me do the talking when we get back from camp.

Girl:  Yes sir!  

....at that moment, that short little flute player put her flute aside and joined the drum line.....a place where she would be for three years until she eventually became one of the field commanders of that 300+ band.  A place where she would have friends that would stick up for her during some crazy, fun, dark, and scary times.  A place where she would have friends that would tick her off for making fun of her for playing cymbals, but then be proud of her for being one of the shortest people to make field commander.  :)  A place where she felt like family.  A place where she learned to stick up for herself and cry in front of them.  Being a cymbal player changed her life.  It was a place where we got to hang out with people that she never would have in a million years....but looking back, it's where God wanted her.  

After the little girl got home from band camp.....

Mr. Simpson:  Jody, I just wanted to let you know that your daughter is going to be playing cymbals...

....there's not much this former flute player remembers of this conversation except questions that her mother asked such as "will she ever play flute again" and "are you sure she needs to play this" and "I can't believe she didn't ask" and "do you really need another cymbal player".  But the mother eventually came around after a very silent car ride home.  The mother and father were both very pleased that the current cymbal player would play the flute during the concert season and that the flute would be the instrument that would be used for competition.  Little did they know that the girl would also be involved in the winter drum line and so competition on her flute actually never happened.  

Let's fast forward 25 years.....our family of five is sitting around the dinner table Tuesday night....

#1:  Speaking of trombone....they are really overrated. 

Me:  What?????

#1:  Well, I think I should be a tuba player.

Me:  What?????

#1:  I actually played the tuba today and Mr. B said I did well.  I'm thinking I want to play that instead of trombone.

Me:  Ummmmm....what?????

#1:  I just want to try something different.  I like the trombone, but I got the low, middle and high notes to play on a tuba.  He's going to pick two people and I really want to be one of those people.

Me:  What?????

......Hubby started to clean up the table with #2 and #3 while the rush of my past came back to my mind.  Now I know how my mother felt when I told her I had switched to cymbals from flute.  Has #1 already switched like I did or is he honestly asking for permission (and then I thought maybe I should have done that).  Then I flashed back to how the drum line was with the tuba section a lot.  And then I remembered, the crude jokes, the farting noises, and the conversations that the tuba players had with the drummers.  Don't get me wrong, I'm friends with some of these people today and they would very much say that is the exact things they talked about.  What was #1 going to become!!??!?!  Why can't I remember the trombone section in high school??!?!??  Were they the innocent ones??!?!?  Did I want #1 to stay with the trombones because I can't remember how they were or do I want him to go to the tuba because I know exactly how they were and can keep an eye on him??!?!?!?  Can I just be an assistant band director even though I don't have my instrumental certificate just so I can keep an eye on #1 if he moves to tuba?!?!?!?  

And then the words came out of my mouth....I saw them in the air as they escaped my lips....words I never thought in a million years that I would say....

Me:  It's your decision.

....what the heck was I saying?!?!!?  Of course this wasn't his decision.  I've been paying $35 a month on this trombone.  I've been paying $20 a week for private lessons.  Take those words back woman.....TAKE THEM BACK.....

#1:  Really Mom?

Me:  Yes, really.  

#1:  Then I want to tell Mr. B that I want to audition to play tuba.  

And then two days later I get this text.....ten minutes before school ends so I know that #1 is on the bus headed to my school....

.....I then see #1 in the hallway....beaming from ear to ear.  He runs up to me and hugs me....

#1:  Thank you so much Mom!  I got picked to play tuba!  I am so excited!  I start on Monday and Mr. B is going to teach me.  Oh...and Mr. B told me that you might be angry...but you won't stay angry for long.  

Me:  Thanks.....I owe Mr. B.  I owe him big.  

#1:  Yeah!  He's letting me switch to tuba!  

.....and I saw the joy in his face and I remembered the joy I had when I switched to a different instrument.  I don't know why it's such a big deal to switch.  I can't explain the feeling that you get when you know an instrument and then switch to another instrument and start to learn that one.  I can't describe the heart or mind of a musician that wants to learn more.  I never thought I was a quitter when I went from flute to cymbals....and honestly, I don't consider #1 a quitter either.  I actually think he's more like me than I thought and to know that he loves music warms my heart more than you could know.  

So as I sit here and reminisce about how I went from flute to cymbals and now #1 going from trombone to tuba, it also made me remember the great friends I made, the wonderful memories I have, the hard work I went through, the tears, the laughter, the trophies and the disappointments, and all the yelling that I endured through band camp, percussion camp, Friday night football games, Saturday contests, and just being a proud Franklin Rebel back in the '90s.  

I remember the man that told me over and over not to become a band director......

Mr. Simpson:  It's thankless work and little pay....and you're too short. 

Me:  I can't imagine doing anything else with my life other than music. 

Mr.  Simpson:  You don't need to go into music.  People will eat you alive.

Me:  They'll have to eat me alive....cuz I'm going to be a music teacher.  I'll work the hours, I'll take the pay.  I want to teach kids music so I can pass on the gift that you gave me.  I love music and can't imagine my life without it.  And there's nothing I can do about my height....

Mr.  Simpson:  Kid, you've got the passion....and you'll do just fine.  

....I had many conversations my junior and senior high school years with this guy.  And as I look back, I don't think he was talking me out of it, I think he was preparing me.....not just for music, but for life with music, life as a musician.   And I pray that #1 enjoys the tuba and gets as much out of music as I have gotten in our life by numbers.