Confession: I Rearranged the Music

When HumorMD Jr gets older, he's going to need to do something. By that I mean I don't want him just going to school and then coming home to play video games all night. He can choose whatever he likes, but there will be some kind of extracurricular activity he participates in. Why am I so insistent on this? For starters, I don't want him to turn into a lazy bum. More importantly, I want him to be well rounded. Nostalgically, Mrs. HumorMD and I both can say some of our best memories of school are from what we did outside of the classroom.

It is in this spirit of nostalgia that I will tell some stories on myself occasionally. HumorMD Jr will get to read this one day, and I'm pretty sure he'll enjoy them. My first will involve my chosen extracurricular activity in high school, the band. I was a trumpet player, and I loved every minute. I was blessed to be in a music program that was actually very good, which always makes it more enjoyable. We went on trips to all sorts of places and won our fair share of contests.

The most interesting year was probably my senior year. I was awarded first chair in the top ensemble my senior year. You would think that means I was talented, right? Wrong. The many first chair trumpets before me were a collection of All State selections and national solo festival winners. I wasn't even close to that. How, then, did I come by the first chair slot? Simple, really. I was the only senior that could play all of his scales, sightread, and generally read music beyond a basic level.

Chair auditions are scored in a weighted fashion. I figured out early in my music career that scales, sight reading, and the solo make up the vast majority of the points. Do well there and you'll probably be all right. That realization carried me all the way to first chair because no one else could do all three.

My knowledge of music did not translate into physical talent however. My fellow trumpeters could do many things that I couldn't do. Being the leader of the section, I was always given the hardest part to play. I didn't want to embarrass myself up there, so I rearranged the parts. Any part that I couldn't play, usually higher notes that I couldn't reach, I would write in on someone else's music. During that section, I would then play their part. In a pinch, I would even just lean over during the song and say stuff like, "Hey James, hold a high C for 4 bars right here." There's no rule that says I can't delegate, right?

I've always wondered if our band director, Mr. Gatch, ever figured this out. Hopefully, this post will make it to him somehow and I'll find out. All I have to say is he taught us to take responsibility and get the job (To be on time is to be late!). Well Mr. Gatch, I heard you loud and clear. I may not have played that high C myself, but I found someone that could!