Tooting My Own Horn

As I posted on my homeschool blog last week, I have started playing my french horn in the band again! A sweet friend invited me to join our community band, so I went last week. Tonight was my second rehearsal. We meet at the high school, and our director is the high school band director. Naturally, as I sit in the high school band hall, I've been thinking back on my own high school band days. I've notice that some things have changed in the 21 (yikes!) years since I was in my high school band, but that some things have stayed the same.


Things that are different:

• I drive a minivan to band practice instead of a cute sports car.
• I have to worry about scratching my horn with my wedding band.
• I don't have Senior English class afterwards.
• If I ever do, "Senior" won 't mean "grade 12"
• Though I know all of the notes, I have no degree of certainty that the correct note is going to come out.
• I'm not first chair.
• I won't be "challenging" first chair.
• After the first 10 minutes of rehearsal muh-by luh-bips fuh-beel luh-bike thuh-bis.
• I actually watch the director.
• I probably won't be voted "Band Sweetheart" this year.

Things that have stayed the same:

• I'm a nut about arriving at practice on time, so I don't have to walk in in front of everyone.
• I keep chapstick and a pencil on my music stand.
• I use a cute (seasonal) towel, because valve oil on your pants is just... icky.
• I still have the same Coach tag (from a Coach purse) with my name label on my horn case, because it's all about cute.
• I remember all of the fingerings.
• I count measures on my fingers.
• I sit there the whole time thinking "Don't-call-on-me-Don't-call-on-me"
• I LOVE playing Christmas music.
• I listened to a great U2 song on the way to rehearsal last week.
• I get to go hang out with that cute guy, Luke, after practice. (I think he likes me!)