Tootin' My Own Horn
I was channel surfing tonight when I stumbled across an episode of something on the Discovery Channel that showed how they make trumpets from an initial sheet of brass to the final product! This led me to reminisce about the good old days when I used to be pretty decent at tooting my own horn.. like first chair and honor band-level good. Of course, those of you who are familiar with the story know the ending. More specifically, I subdued my inner Louis Armstrong to focus on school, so that I could get into a good college and all that. I suppose the gamble paid off.
You never lose an ability to play an instrument though. You can get rusty, but knowing which valve to hold down to make that perfect B-flat can never escape your mind once it's been drilled in, even if that were 15 years ago. So as I opened up my case and poked around, I was reminded of how every single one of the contents in there had a specific purpose in shaping me into the performer that I was then: the mute, the valve oil, the sheet music, the 2001 copy of Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition (whoa, how did THAT get there?!). Like I said, lots of good memories.
I should pick it back up again. Maybe when I shake off the rust, I can rediscover my passion by joining an ensemble at De Anza or in the area. Being able to beat Rock Band or Guitar Hero on expert does not qualify me as being a competent musician, as much as I would like to believe it.
You never lose an ability to play an instrument though. You can get rusty, but knowing which valve to hold down to make that perfect B-flat can never escape your mind once it's been drilled in, even if that were 15 years ago. So as I opened up my case and poked around, I was reminded of how every single one of the contents in there had a specific purpose in shaping me into the performer that I was then: the mute, the valve oil, the sheet music, the 2001 copy of Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Edition (whoa, how did THAT get there?!). Like I said, lots of good memories.
I should pick it back up again. Maybe when I shake off the rust, I can rediscover my passion by joining an ensemble at De Anza or in the area. Being able to beat Rock Band or Guitar Hero on expert does not qualify me as being a competent musician, as much as I would like to believe it.
