Bye Bye Birdie!

I realized that I don't write about my boys very often on this blog.  But the fact is--they are amazing.  Maybe I tend to not write about them because they are past the innocent age when they say silly things and run around the house in nothing but their underwear and a blanket tied like a cape around their necks.  Sometimes the silly things make a better story.  But I am going to remedy this error starting today.

If you didn't know, my 15 year old son, Alex, plays the trombone.  He not only plays it, but he plays it well.  He plays in the jazz band at school and loves it with a passion.  I know what you're thinking...junior high jazz band = ear plugs.  But it is not so with this band!  The first time I heard them play I was completely blown away.  I am a big fan of jazz music and I was not expecting this little amateur band to impress me too much.  But I was seriously impressed.  They were so confident and I could tell that they could feel that groove, that vibe that is vital to playing jazz music.  I was screaming and clapping so loud I'm sure I looked like a total idiot, but I couldn't help it!

Last week I had another chance to be blown away by this talented kid.  He is in 9th grade now and has had some great opportunities.  He plays on the school basketball team and gets (almost) straight A's.  But his passion is still music.  His band director asked him to play in the pit for the school's musical, "Bye Bye Birdie".  So he practiced with the band every day after school.  I looked at his music when he started and thought, "Wow!  This is pretty hard stuff.  I bet this is the original score".  Then I went to see him play, but again, not expecting to be seriously impressed.  And again, I was seriously wrong!  They did an amazing job on some very difficult music.  Not only that, but there was only ONE instrument on each part.  Piano, drums, trombone, trumpet, clarinet, bass and an alto sax player who also played the flute and piccolo when needed.  Seven musicians who accompanied a cast of probably 80 kids playing a score for a musical with at least a dozen big numbers, plus all of the reprises and interludes between scenes.  Maybe this is a standard for most junior high schools, but I was impressed yet again.  I haven't even mentioned that the musical itself was FAN-freaking-tastic!  What a great job the kids did.  And of course, to Alex, it was all "no big deal".  I really don't think he gets how awesome he is.

But that could just be my extremely prejudiced opinion.  :)