Back to school

4 kids, 3 different schools. This will be the same scenario next year, too. It's not too bad, really. The oldest gets home about 15 minutes after the two youngest (which are in elementary) so if I have to run out for any reason, she can watch them.

Demetrios (the one in middle school) is in band but is new to playing an instrument (not counting the "recorder") and wants to play the trumpet. He's in the 7th grade. In its infinite wisdom, the school stuck a beginner in intermediate band because their reasoning is that 6th graders go in beginning band, 7th graders in intermediate and the 8th grades are in advanced. We were told the Thursday before school started that this could be changed, only to find that by the next week of school he was stuck there. A week of being told it's being changed! So, he's making the best of it and we're doing a crash course in how to play the trumpet. The kid is a trouper.

One problem he's having is with the embrasure due to him having an old childhood problem called apraxia. I'm constantly having to remind him how to do it and I never played the trumpet in band. I was a percussionist. We have about 1 1/2 weeks before try outs. That's to determine what intrument the student seems best suited for. It would completely suck if he didn't get trumpet, since we just bought this one.

I bought him a book and video on how to play. I find that I'm learning along with him, but without the problem he's having with the embrasure. All those years in junior high and high school band, listening to the band director yell at the brass section about embrasure must have sunk into my subconscious.

I'll try to update more often, but not just about the kids.
caio for now!