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Monday, November 28, 2011

instru mental

I think I've mentioned here that Meego took up the baritone this year for 6th grade band.  Since, often when he tells people who are not particularly brass-oriented, they ask "baritone what?", I've included a photo of the brass baritone.


I also wanted to include a photo to demonstrate the size of the baritone.

No, none of these baritone players is Meego.  These are fully grown adult baritone players.  Meego is smaller, his baritone is the size shown.

I, for one, love the sound of the baritone and am happy that it was the instrument he settled on when we went to pick-ur-instrument day last year. 

However...

Meego rides a bus to school and schlepping this thing back and forth is quite an ordeal.  Magnum is at work during times Meego goes to and from school, and ironically, I am escorting a bunch of other people's kids to and from school during times Meego goes to and from school. 

So there's the dilemma.  How can the poor kid practice the baritone at home?  His genius of a mom I decided to ask the band director if there were any extra baritones laying around the bandroom.  I'd be happy to pay the rent on an extra one if Meego could keep it at the house and not attempt the schlepping thing. 

Lo and behold, not only was there an extra one laying around, the band director let us keep it at home for free.  Granted, it's not particularly pretty,  but it's certainly suitable for an 11-year-old beginner to stash at home and practice on.  This system was working wonderfully.

Until...

For some strange reason, Meego brought home the pretty, stays-at-school baritone over Thanksgiving break.  It's sitting on the floor next to the beat up, stays-at-home baritone.  Naturally, he wants it at school in time for band class, and the bus driver doesn't allow it on the bus in the mornings.  I could run it over there now, like I've done in the past, but I really want to drive home the idea that he uses the ugly one for practicing at home and the pretty one stays at school since I blog and doodle and play with the dog work and have appointments in the mornings, and it's often difficult to get it to school in time for band class.

Hmmm, what to do.  Any advice?  I'll wait, I've got nothing in particular going on right now...
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2 comments:

terri said...

Well, I'm stuck on the idea that your kid actually practices and clearly enjoys it enough that he now has both instruments at home. We did not have a similar experience with musical instruments and our kids.

As far as advice? My brain says teach him a lesson and don't deliver the baritone to his school. My heart says there's no way in hell I would actually practice what I preach were I in your position. Good luck!

agg79 said...

I guess having him switch to something more "portable" (i.e. flute) is out of the question at this point. I'm with terri, the old school in me says that if he misses band because he brought it home, perhaps a day without would teach a lesson (kind of like losing stuff?), but the dad in me would be trying to arrange for some way to get it to school (via friends, neighbors, random strangers). Hope he got it in time.