UPDATE: The winner is…Martha Lanham!
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Yesterday, the 11-year-old was notified that she’d been accepted into band at the middle school to play clarinet starting this fall. Recently, she went through an afternoon of trying out different instruments at her school to see what instruments might best suit her and had narrowed her choices down to clarinet, saxophone, and I forget what else. The school made the final choice for her, based on their needs, but she’s happy. The clarinet was first on her list. I played clarinet in middle and high school band. How I wish I still had that instrument. We’ve looked into buying and renting, and man, they’ve gotten expensive.
It’s kind of auspicious that today is “Buy a Musical Instrument Day.” It got me thinking about the instruments we already own in this house: an old organ, an electronic piano, multiple guitars and ukuleles, and a harmonica. For me, the piano was my first love. I started lessons when I was seven, I think, with a woman who had polio that affected her left hand. She played beautifully with her right, and she was a great teacher. My father brought me a Yamaha guitar home that he’d bought when he was stationed in Thailand during the Vietnam War. I got it for my ninth or tenth birthday, I think, and played it all the way through college. Carrying around a guitar everywhere you went was a thing in the late 70s, as was singing folk music and songs from Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. Yes, I was that cliche.
Anyway, I’d love to hear about any of your musical experiences. For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, solve the puzzle, then let me know whether you played (or play) a musical instrument (kazoos count! LOL).
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That’s the first time I’ve done a word search, I never know how to mark the words, but this was cool, I don’t play instruments, my youngest son played trombone in middle school, he was good but didn’t stick with it, my oldest son is self taught with the guitar and is pretty great, him and some of his friends put a band together years ago, best of luck with the clarinet for your child,
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For my 40th birthday I decided that I wanted to play the piano.
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like to go to concerts
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I tried the flute in 5th grade – it didn’t go well. I took piano lessons for years – did ok – hated the recitals. Haven’t played since high school. If I had the chance, I’d try playing again.
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Oh my. I, too, took piano lessons as a kid – 7-9 or so. I wasn’t very good. Not my passion, but I dabbled. Then as a teenager, there was the guitar. I didn’t carry it everywhere with me, (early 70’s) but I was in a musical group. However, I ended up being lead singer rather than accompanist. My voice was better than my guitar playing. Those were the days. Fun Memories.
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I had piano lessons as a child, but let it lapse.
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That was relaxing. Thanks
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I tries clarinet when I was young (we owned a used one from a yardsale). I hated it. I played violin and hated it. I played cello and loved it but my mom hated it so I dropped it. I took piano lessons for a few years and I liked it but I wasn’t good with it.
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I played the organ a bit as a kid… never really got into it…
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I played violin from 5th through high school. My mom first rented my violin, then we lucked out because a violinist who saw me play made a gift of one of his older ones when he found out I was going to have to stop because mom could no longer afford to rent one. The only thing he asked was if I stopped later that I donate it to another student who could not afford one. When I stopped years later, I did donate it by talking to one of my old teachers to see which student could not afford to rent or buy a violin. I met with the parents and asked if I could donate it to their child as I was no longer playing and wanted it to pass to someone who could use it. There were tears all around, and I showed the child a few tips and was around for a while if him or his parents had questions. We stayed friends for a number of years until they moved.
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I always wanted to play the piano, but it never happened, and I can’t read music either.
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I had a decade of piano lessons and am thankful to still be able to muddle through basics, but I look at the music I was playing when I quit and am intimidated, LOL. The kids all got piano lessons; only the oldest still plays a little. They were fortunate to all have music lessons through school as well–third grade was recorder, then they got to choose an instrument starting in fourth. The boys played violin while DD chose clarinet. Alas, they stopped after middle school or high school… My MiL still loves playing the piano and enjoys it when she can.
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I used to play the clarinet. Was pretty good to at the time