Tonight we went to another of Kyra’s band concerts. As a flute player, she sometimes feels like her music can’t be heard above the racket of the rest of the band. (And yes, with a group of eighth-graders it’s often a racket.)
She had this to say about it:
It was hilarious. Maybe it was the way she said it– very matter-of-fact, like this was a great pronouncement and a piece of timeless wisdom that should be inscribed in stone somewhere.
At the concert I couldn’t help but admit she’s right. The flute players sit right in front of the trumpets and saxophones, and they played a little Mexican number (lots of brass) and the only way I could tell Kyra was even playing was by watching her fingers move on the flute.
The good news: as band players mature and become more skilled, the brass quiets down a little. Last weekend we were at a statewide honor band concert (Kyra was fourth chair, meaning she’s the fourth-best flutist in Colorado!) and those middle-school kids were really quite impressive. The brass wasn’t as overpowering; it sounded more like a group effort than an attempt by the brass players to drown out everyone else.