The Rock Band Faze

For a while in my household, all you could hear was the trilling of my gold flute as I played it for hours on end, but as summer neared its close, preparing me for 7th grade, I decided that I wanted to start a band. A real, live band with concerts and everything.

So, I called up my friend and talked to my sister and together we got together to plan at what we were going to do.

"So, who has a good singing voice?" I asked, looking at a quick check-list I'd written out.

Nobody volunteered. I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Okay... well, we can always find someone else..." I faltered. "Alright, what instruments does everyone play?"

There was a brief pause before they began listing off their instruments. In total we could play violin, piano, flute, piccolo, and recorder. Not the makings of a rock band, that's for sure.

"Christine... I don't think this is going to work...." My sister started, but I cut her off with a glare. Immediately deciding another scheme.

"Maybe we could start a whole new type of band... one that plays a variety of cool music with violin, flute, and piano!" I suggested.

The idea held. We began scheming for a Christmas concert, fundraising concert, and planning different music we could play. Our lame band name was "Classic Knights".

For weeks my friend and sister came over every day to practice. We played "Silver Bells" until our fingers hurt, and the Pirates of the Caribbean song until I never wanted to hear it again. Unfortunately, my friend, a beginner violin player, was so slow at playing that everything sounded like it was in slow motion. I knew we could never become famous this way.

So the whole Classic Knights scheme fell apart. I stopped inviting my friend over, and we stopped playing our classic music. Soon, though, another scheme began in my mind. I called up my friend and began plotting. This time, I thought, we would start a REAL rock band.

My friend and I both enrolled in guitar lessons and I bought an expensive, white and black "tuxedo" Les Paul Studio electric guitar. It even had gold plating on it. The whole scheme would have been wonderful if it wasn't for the fact that I didn't like guitar. Not only did the electric guitar sound terrible playing Hot Cross Buns, but no matter what, I could not wrap my mind around the whole "chord thing". Playing flute, I only had to pay attention to one note at a time, not chords. None of it made sense. So... 6 months later I quit.

None of the band scheme had gone well. Our classic music group was a flop, our rock band was a flop, but what about.... a jazz band?

Before I knew it my mom had enrolled my in lessons for Tenor Saxophone. For once, I loved it! The keys were big, gold and clunky, with the same fingerings as a flute. It was easy to play, mellow, and cool. I knew that paired with a piano and some percussion, it would make a great jazz instrument.

I can't tell you whether the jazz band idea is ever going to work or not. I've continued to play saxophone (and love it), though so far now band has evolved. Alone in the past 3 years, I have played piano, piccolo, flute, recorder, guitar, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone. What do you think? I am I musically desperate or what?