(click here to read Facebook comments)
do come true…. Have you ever arrived ‘on location’ (whatever that means to you) and discovered that you ‘forgot it’? The year was 2001, and he decided to audition for a corp that he admired all though his high school career. A young man at the top of his class, musically and academically, one who displayed leadership qualities early on andbecame the high school band drum major, anxiously checked the mail daily until the packet arrived. And the packet contained sheet music and details about the audition being held that winter in the windy city of Chicago. He checked his euphonium with his baggage making sure that the tag was securely attached. As he stepped off of the plane, he realized that a winter coat in northern Florida does not constitute the same in Chicago.
Arriving just in time for an early registration, I parked while he rushed inside to begin the process. He came back out to the car, visibly upset. In all of the haste to arrive on time, and to do well in those auditions far from Florida, he forgot his horn. Fortunately the he was able to borrow a horn from the school for the weekend. I joined the other parents to enjoy a quick demonstration by the young men of the skills they had learned in the short two day session. And before we left, the young men would all learn whether they had made the cut. It tore my heart out to see that my young man, didn’t make the final cut, but rather was chosen as an alternate.
And I prayed that something would ‘give’ so that he would move from alternate to corp member, then lo and behold, another young man’s college plans were not conducive to traveling with the corp and my young man was in! Traveling to Chicago once a month for practice, then ‘moving in’ in May and traveling/performing as a unit until the finals. As I attended the ceremony at the end of the season where he won the award for the first year rookie, I realized that dreams really do come true even if you do forget to bring your horn to the audition.
Fast forward 12 years, I pulled up to the baggage claim area for Delta and see him waving me down as he sees the truck. Throwing his bags in the back seat, he hopped in and we got on the road to set up for auditions. Tomorrow morning, nervous young men will register for the two day camp, as their parents watch on. Some will have forgotten their music, their forms, and yes, even their horn. And I will have the privilege of watching the Director and Assistant Director (my son) talk to the young men about the weekend they are about to embark upon, and will snap photographs of them during their sessions with the top music professionals in their arena.
Today, I am filled with gratitude that music helps to shape so many young people’s lives through Drum & Bugle Corp and that my son plays a role now and for generations to come. For this life of a musician takes more than just talent, it requires dedication on a daily, if not hourly and minute by minute basis. And this life of music teaches our young adults responsibility, leadership and community, as well as giving them the tools that will help them to build successful careers and relationships for the rest of their lives. Last year, as the camp finished, my son gave me one of the audition posters. And myDarlin’Robert Kenui Pope and I proudly hung it from the ceiling in Leilani’s alongside of a Kona poster. I look up and truly know that Music is Life.
#KeepLookingUp #MusicisLife #DontForgetYourHorn
No comments:
Post a Comment