It’s funny how things start out. My story is not a particularly sexy one, but it is true. When I was in fourth grade the music teacher at our school came to my class. He had what I consider to be one of the greatest sales pitches of all time. He had only one question for us – “Who wants to get out of class for two hours a week?” My hand shot up so fast I nearly dislocated my shoulder. I mean honestly, who cares what you have to do, two hours out of class a week is a big deal to a fourth grader! He went on to explain music class, but I can’t remember anything about it. The next week he came and got those of us who had volunteered and off we went to music class.
As we entered the classroom there was a table on the right side with instruments on it. The first one I saw was a trumpet. Now, I know that it would sound great to say that I loved the look of the trumpet and it called to me, but I’m not prone to lie so I’m not going to say that. The truth is that I was still in it for the two hours. I picked up the closest instrument to me and it was a trumpet. Call it fate???
Fast forward two years to this picture. This photo was taken in my living room in Louisville Kentucky when I was in sixth grade. There are two funny things about this picture. The first, and the thing that most of my students and co-workers would tell you, is that my posture is still as terrible now as it was then. In fact I still sit exactly the same way. This is probably why I spend a lot of time with chiropractors. The second thing is that although you can’t hear it I’m playing a double C in this picture! Ok, maybe not, but I had just started to discover high notes and ultimately high notes led me to a love of the trumpet.
Like I said, it’s not sexy, but it’s true.
Andrew
PS – Look at the chair in the background. The back of that chair always freaked me out as a kid. It looks like some kind of creepy ghost that has a smile on it’s face.
