Fluting

                
Things are getting serious with the flute. Yesterday afternoon my oldest had a band event where you play for judges, they rank your ability and you acquire medals. I don't really know about it, I just get papers from school and I drive my kids where they need to go.

We got to the high school that was hosting it and the cafeteria was full of band kids. She spoke with her band teacher and then warmed up her flute. "I'm so nervous," she told me. "I think I might mess up."

Uggggh. I felt my stomach flip flop. Her being nervous made me nervous. "You'll do great. Just do the best you can. Imagine that you play it perfectly. Thoughts become things." She nodded, gathered her flute and I walked with her to the room. I patted her on the back. "Just try your best. I'll wait for you in the cafeteria."

I went back to the cafeteria and waited nervously. I played on my phone and chatted with the mom sitting next to me. After a while she walked through the double doors. She had a defeated look on her face. As soon as she saw me, she broke down into sobs. I walked over and hugged her. She sobbed into my shoulder. "I messed up the first measure," she cried. Band probs.

Her friend had followed me over and rubbed her back. "What did you get?" she asked. "I didn't even check. I don't even want to know," my daughter replied between cries. Her friend pulled the judge's sheet from her music book and looked at it. "You got a superior," she said, excited. My daughter wiped the tears from her eyes, "Really!?!"
"Yeah, look."

And just like that, she was better. Not before a bunch a people had made their way over concerned. Her band teacher rolled his eyes. "Are you going to cry when I give you your medal too?" Probably. She is my daughter, after all.

We had over an hour until her next thing so we cut out and went to lunch. She was happy and in a good mood. We talked about her plans for next year. They let kids join the marching band in the 7th grade and she told me that she REALLY wants to do it.

Of course she does, I've talked about how awesome marching band is her entire life. I was in the marching band all through high school and LOVED it. It was my favorite thing. So much fun. It is hard to explain the awesomeness of marching band to people that have not experienced it themselves. Marching band is not just an extracurricular activity, it's a religion.

              
I never actually played an instrument. I got into marching band by mistake. I was sleeping over a friend's house and she was telling me about how she had band camp in the morning. "You should come," she said. "It's really fun." I did. I just showed up and went up to the band director and was like, "I don't play an instrument but I want to be in the marching band." He told me I could play the cymbals.

The thing was, he never actually taught me how to play the cymbals so I just crashed them whenever it seemed like a good time. Which, was never actually at a good time. I was not legit, I was pretty much a big joke but I did not care. It was so much fun. I later graduated to the bass drum. Drum line forever, bitches.

I think it will be good for her. She loves to play the flute and the band kids seem to be her "people." I also love marching band competitions and now I would have a legit excuse to go to them instead of just being a weirdo. I'll still be a weirdo, but you know what I mean.