flute
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85146)
Shingle Springs, California
February 4, 2010 10:49am CST
So Naomi's in fourth grade today and she gets to be in the band. We went to rent her instrument, were told to ask for some thing (I don't even remember the terminology), turns out it was a huge metal xylophone, drum pads and sticks. Naomi is rather a small fourth grader and the whole thing is almost as big as she is.
"Naomi," I said, "wouldn't a flute have been lighter?"
"I don't want a flute. I want this. Besides, I can't blow."
OK whatever.
So she practices every night and every Thursday she has to take it to school. Cary often helps her with it since he's bigger than she is.
Today Cary and Dearra and I were already in the car and Naomi came out the door struggling with a backpack and jacket and shoes and the xylophone. So Dearra stuck her head out the car door and yelled, "FLUTE"...
So when I got to the school and dropped the twins off, I asked Cary to please help Naomi with her flute.
I don't think we're ever going to call it a xylophone again.
7 people like this
17 responses
@Orea15 (281)
• United States
4 Feb 10
I remember that thing. It's a percussion kit, or something like that. My son did that and ended up loving it and taking about six years of lessons. He minored in music at William and Mary. I would have loved to take drums myself, but girls didn't do those things way back when. And my folks couldn't have afforded a drum kit anyway. I was lucky to have a violin.
I really enjoyed listening to my son practice, and I missed it when he eventually quit. He still has his stuff and I hope one day he takes it up again, because he was good.
So...I hope you encourage her. it's a great way to develop her concentration, because you really have to pay attention to keep time and play it right. It did wonders for my son, who was borderline ADHD. And I would have been a much better vioiin player if I had been given a drum lesson or two and learned how they count time. If I ever get a violin again, which I would like to do, I will be a much better player because of what I learned via my son.
And your daughter may be petite, but she will build muscles lugging that thing around! We females need more upper body strength. ;-)
3 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Feb 10
The funny thing is that her twin brother, who isn't in band because he's a year behind her in school, has learned every piece that she plays and plays them at least as well as she does. So next year I'm sure there will be two of them...
@Orea15 (281)
• United States
4 Feb 10
Wonderful! My son was lucky in that our school system offered a summer music program that he participated in. It was there that he found and selected the man who became his drum teacher for those six years. We are still friends with him and his lovely wife. They are wonderful people, salt of the earth. My son knew how to choose well!
1 person likes this
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
4 Feb 10
I love that she knows what she wants and is sticking to it. She will probably be the best that school has ever seen.
3 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Feb 10
I'm not sure she's all that musical, but at least she's having fun.
@GardenGerty (160908)
• United States
4 Feb 10
Glockenspiel is the word you want, I think. When I was in band it was really a prestige thing to get to play the "bell chimes" or the piccolo. You had to be a flute player first. It is good that Cary can help her.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Feb 10
I think pretty soon he'll be teaching her...
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
4 Feb 10
cute! i remember when my older daughter started playing an instrument at school (in our schools they have to wait til grade 6) but she ended up playing a sax and guess who got to lug it home from and to school every day?! (me, of course! we walked to and from school too!)
our youngest last year started playing the clarinet! (she doesnt have to bring it home because friends of ours lent her one for home too! {which is even better!!])
3 people like this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
4 Feb 10
LOL. When I went to what you'd call High School but my Dad called a money aneurism I was informed via a note on the board that I was to learn the flute. I didn't want to and went to the music teacher to tell him so. He asked me what I was interested in. I said "History Sir". He said, then you'll learn the Crumhorn - and I did, several of them. Look it up!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Feb 10
I have an accordion in the garage gathering dust that I haven't played in years and also my mom's piano.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
4 Feb 10
I love hearing about your kids. I just know they would be as much fun to be around as i think u would be.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
5 Feb 10
LOL i can understand that.
my mom signed me up for clarinet class when i was a kid.
an asthmatic child..with a wind instrument.
we were never offered xylophone.that would have been kind of neat.
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
4 Feb 10
One of my daughters did do the flute....for three weeks.....we also rented it....well at the end of three weeks we couldn't find it! It had mysteriously disappeared.....so the flute ended right there.....seems when you hide it might be you don't really want to play it!
1 person likes this
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
5 Feb 10
A flute with a whole new meaning altogether, that's just awesome.. I think your 3 children combined and you make a great read. I enjoy all these snippets into your lives. It's actually cute how Naomi tries to carry off those things, and Dearra yelling Flute! That's classic. Reminds me not to take words at face value from now onwards, lol!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Feb 10
I don't know. How hard can they blow?
Seriously, Naomi said something about not being equipped to blow hard at that age....
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Feb 10
Actually, they don't allow them to play trombone or tuba until the 5th grade. Dunno why that is...
@paula27661 (15811)
• Australia
5 Feb 10
I like that! It is so great that Naomi will not settle for anything else but the instrument she has her heart set on and that is a good attitude to have in life, I think! She may need some help to carry her ‘flute’ around but she is doing what she wants and that’s what counts! I would like my daughter to learn an instrument but her ballroom dancing is costing so much we can’t afford for her to do anything else at the moment!
1 person likes this
@PeacefulWmn9 (10420)
• United States
4 Feb 10
Oh wow, those things are huge lol. A flute would have been much easier to carry, but hey, it that's her choice, that's her choice lol.
Karen
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Feb 10
Yep, and she really likes her choice! Heavy or no...
@msfrancisco9369 (10002)
• Boston, Massachusetts
6 Feb 10
Hi Dawn,
I am confused dawn or i may be just so slow now...so the instrument that naomi loves playing is xylophone but dearra call it flute? you kids has so much stories to share and i am enjoying following up their activities here. it seems like i am just a neighbor of yours aware of what's happening with them. i can imagine how you are truly making the best out fo you to become the best mom for them. i admire you dawn.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Feb 10
Naomi plays the xylophone, but a flute would have been easier to carry, that's all...
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
4 Feb 10
As we've seen before, Dearra has her Mum's sense of humour - correction, she has her own, since her Mum still has hers.
So what did Dearra learn to play and does she still play it? Next year you could have your own family group, especially if you persevere with the piano.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Feb 10
Dearra took piano lessons for a while, but she hated the practicing.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
4 Feb 10
hi dawnald oh how funny and this will of course stick in the family and from now on the big old xylophone will instead be'
the lighter flute, of course. a xylophone by any other name will be lighter and easier to carry, huh? i can just see her smallframe struggling to carry the "Flute" to the car, glad her brother could help. lol.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Feb 10
At least she didn't want to play the tuba or the cello.
@faridmadeabillion (1127)
• Bangladesh
6 Feb 10
Well Ma'am. Kids tend to create and live in a world of their own where they love term things according to their choice. Your kid is no different from this tendency. Even if their terminology turn out to be wrong, they correct themselves when they are grown up. Have a nice family.
1 person likes this