Trumpets and Braces
Trying out for the Symphonic Band during the seventh grade was no easy task. I was up against 3 eight-graders and a couple of seventh graders who were much better at playing the trumpet than me. It was therefore no big surprise to me when I was awarded 5th chair out of 8 trumpet players.
One day, my parents decided (against my wishes) to get me braces. My teeth were so badly misaligned that they felt the braces were necessary. Besides, cost was no object since the military was going to pay for it. Despite my --- and my band director’s --- objections, the braces were “installed”.
The first week of the braces – the adjustment period – was probably the most painful week anyone could ever endure. The next couple of weeks were no picnics either, but I longed to play my trumpet.
One night, while cleaning out the brass horn, I installed the mouthpiece and placed the trumpet to my mouth, mock-playing it. When my dad suddenly walked in, I accidentally dropped the trumpet to the floor with the mouthpiece end hitting the floor first.
This made the mouthpiece impossible to remove. I became upset at myself but my dad calmed me down.
“It’s only a piece of scrap metal” he said.
“What?!?!” I said incredulously. “We can buy you another one” he assured.
“But Dad, you’ve had that trumpet since you were a kid. Now that the mouthpiece is stuck, we’d never be able to get the trumpet into the case without the mouthpiece sticking out! It’s ruined” I argued.
“Look” he said.
“That trumpet has been in the family for a couple of generations and no one else has played it as beautifully as you. When I hear you play that trumpet, I couldn’t have been more proud to have given it to you.
The sounds that came out of that horn were beautiful because You were the one blowing into it. That trumpet sounded amazing because You are amazing.
Don’t worry about it, we can get you another one.
And I’m sure that whatever trumpet we get will sound just as amazing”
“You’re amazing, Dad.” It was all I managed to say before he bear-hugged me so tightly I couldn’t breathe.
We didn’t buy a new trumpet. Instead, I cut out a hole at the mouthpiece end of the case and carried it without shame to band class.
At about my fifth week of having braces, we had Chair Challenges.
I surprised everyone by taking first chair…braces and all.
One day, my parents decided (against my wishes) to get me braces. My teeth were so badly misaligned that they felt the braces were necessary. Besides, cost was no object since the military was going to pay for it. Despite my --- and my band director’s --- objections, the braces were “installed”.
The first week of the braces – the adjustment period – was probably the most painful week anyone could ever endure. The next couple of weeks were no picnics either, but I longed to play my trumpet.
One night, while cleaning out the brass horn, I installed the mouthpiece and placed the trumpet to my mouth, mock-playing it. When my dad suddenly walked in, I accidentally dropped the trumpet to the floor with the mouthpiece end hitting the floor first.
This made the mouthpiece impossible to remove. I became upset at myself but my dad calmed me down.
“It’s only a piece of scrap metal” he said.
“What?!?!” I said incredulously. “We can buy you another one” he assured.
“But Dad, you’ve had that trumpet since you were a kid. Now that the mouthpiece is stuck, we’d never be able to get the trumpet into the case without the mouthpiece sticking out! It’s ruined” I argued.
“Look” he said.
“That trumpet has been in the family for a couple of generations and no one else has played it as beautifully as you. When I hear you play that trumpet, I couldn’t have been more proud to have given it to you.
The sounds that came out of that horn were beautiful because You were the one blowing into it. That trumpet sounded amazing because You are amazing.
Don’t worry about it, we can get you another one.
And I’m sure that whatever trumpet we get will sound just as amazing”
“You’re amazing, Dad.” It was all I managed to say before he bear-hugged me so tightly I couldn’t breathe.
We didn’t buy a new trumpet. Instead, I cut out a hole at the mouthpiece end of the case and carried it without shame to band class.
At about my fifth week of having braces, we had Chair Challenges.
I surprised everyone by taking first chair…braces and all.
posted by Noel | 11:28 PM
1 Comments:
Dear Noel..
It just seems that your childhood memory stories keep getting better and better!!
What a beautiful one this is!
What an absolutely kind father you have!
You can play the trumpet?
How wonderful!
It is my mom's favorite instrument.
I love it too.
You can feel the soul of the person who is playing it.
Sometimes listening to its' flowing golden notes almost breaks my heart, yet at other times when it is being played in the major key it makes me feel just like rejoicing![and dancing too, if I only knew HOW!].
You had braces?
What a lucky duck you were!
I always WANTED braces.
I didn't really NEED them but I was so jealous of the kids that had them!
They looked so cool!!
One of my friend's that had braces used to pick up radio signals on them and it was so funny to be listening to the hit parade coming from her teeth!
As far as your breaking the trumpet, and the way that your Dad took the situation, reminded me of a lady that I used to clean for.
She had a house full of antiques.
One day when I was dusting off her fridge, I dropped a really ancient dish and it shattered into hundreds of pieces it seemed.
I was so scared!!
I DID tell her what I had done but it was kind of hard breaking the news to her when she got home.
I was crying my eyes out and she patted me on the head and said,[and I will be forever grateful to her for this] "Terry, to me people are far more precious than just mere things.
"Things" can be replaced.."
And then she added, "Besides, you are the first cleaning lady that I ever had that even thought about cleaning the top of my fridge!"
And she didn't even fire me Noel!
I learned from somebody a week later that the dish I had broken was the oldest dish that she had owned.
It was so nice of your dad to tell you that he was proud of the way you played the family trumpet.
I really DO think Noel that THAT is the reason that you won the contest.
How could you have failed with such encouragemet coming from your dear father?
Noel Lewis do you STILL play the trumpet?
Take care my dear friend and thank you again for such a good family story.
Keep it up Noel and don't forget to be printing these tales out for your children...From Terry
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