Drumming

I don't know if I mentioned that although the Boy started learning the flute this school year, he didn't last very long with it.  Wrong embouchement, or something.  Anyway, he opted for percussion instead and now has a nice set of bells (xylophone) and a drum pad (for practice, in lieu of a snare drum).  He has been getting on much better with these, thanks to absence of mouthpiece / running-out-of-puff woes.

Tonight was his first concert with the Fifth Grade Band.  Unfortunately the band is so large that the entire percussion section (all three of them) was elbowed off into the wings and rendered completely invisible.  However, their bells rang loud and clear (and mostly to tune) and the Boy rocked on snare, setting the pace for March of the Romans.  In fact he did so well that when it came time to step forward and take a bow, the conductor not only shook the Boy's hand but also gave him a high five and fist bump.  Good job, that Boy!

He was rewarded in traditional style at the local ice-cream place, which, as expected on this rainy (isn't it always?) concert night, was packed out with abnormally smartly-dressed kids (waistcoats, neckties, bow-ties - you name it.  There was even one kid in a wing collar).  OK, so the Boy didn't manage to tuck in his new button-down shirt - but, hey, at least he was wearing it, and he'd washed and combed his hair, too. Not bad at all for a fellow who most often looks like he slept under a hedge.