Retro Wednesday: Hopes Realized

When Jumble was in 5th grade (back in 2004), she started playing the clarinet. This is a photo of her at her first band concert in the fall of 2004:

(Sorry, it's impossible to get a good shot of your child on the stage without a fancy camera! You can see Jumble on the front row, about the middle of the picture squeezed between two music stands.)

This is her after the concert. Although going to beginning band concerts is exciting because your child is excited and it is cool to hear them playing anything, when just a few months ago they didn't know how to play at all, it isn't exactly great music.

But they keep practicing, and you keep going to support them...

because someday you hope to go to a concert and not just love it because your child is playing, but because the squeaks and wobbly notes are gone and you can sit back and truly enjoy a fabulous performance:

This is Jumble at the band bash last November playing with her Jr. High Wind Ensemble: one of only four jr. high bands in the country that were invited (after an audition tape) to participate in the National Middle School Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana.

And this is her playing the bass clarinet at the same band bash with the marching band right after winning the Bands of America Western Regional competition and right before leaving to attend Bands of America Grand Nationals (also in Indianapolis, Indiana) where they took 14th place in the nation.

And I am thinking about this because last night we attended another truly enjoyable concert of fabulous music where Jumble played with the high school Symphonic Band. (But I forgot the camera, so no photos!) It's been great to watch our hopes (when we started on this journey five years ago) be realized. Thanks for practicing and sticking with it, Jumble!

(Minnie is well on her way with the flute, too! More great music to come.)