We have a new addition to the upcoming school year.
Meet Trumby, my son’s trombone. He subsequently named the brass instrument after a two-day mini band camp at his school district’s middle school.
The third-graders in our district were introduced to the instrumental music program toward the end of the 2018-19 school year. Interested students had the opportunity to try out three instruments in individual meetings with the elementary music instructor. My son chose the clarinet, trombone and drums. He settled on the trombone, mainly because he nailed a good sound out of the mouthpiece upon trying. It also impressed the instructor. 🙂
Fast forward to Wednesday and Thursday (July 31 and Aug. 1, 2019) where first- and second-year instrument students in the elementary and middle schools were invited to participate in the band camp. High school band musicians assisted the instructors in making the seven-hour-a-day camp run smoothly.
The camp concluded with a mini concert, which due to work and a car in the garage I was unable to attend. My son gave me a mini concert when I got home, putting his instrument together and sliding the trombone up and down as he breathed into it.
Next week starts practice at home, for as many minutes a day. Mom must mark the times rehearsed on a sheet that gets turned in at the start of school. Lessons will then begin in school.
And so begins my life as a band parent. Add that to my life as a Scouting and dance parent and my previous title of cheer mom (accompanied with cheer coach). Eventually, my son hopes to take on drum lessons outside of school.
I’m all for it. My early life had piano and flute lessons in it, with eventual membership in the high school marching and concert bands. My daughter continues guitar lessons.
We’ve become a musical family. It’s music to my ears. 🙂
The mom of a dancing teen and a tween who enjoys scouting and hockey, Katie Campomizzi-Clews is a copy editor at The Republican-Herald. She began her career at The RH as a staff writer following graduation from Lycoming College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication with a minor in psychology. She shares her experiences of balancing work and parenting and takes a look at issues, events and trends concerning parents and children.
