Originally Posted by
ann reid
I got my BA in Music Ed. as a voice major by default, since my instrument was bass clarinet, and the clarinet professor said he’d resign if he had to try to teach me soprano clarinet. I loved being a voice major and got pretty decent as a singer, and still played in every instrumental ensemble on campus, and sang in every choral ensemble except Opera Workshop.
After teaching general music for a year I realized I definitely didn’t want to do that for long, and happened on a state fellowship in speech therapy, for which I was accepted, and worked as a therapist and special ed. Teacher for most of the rest of my professional life.
The thought never once occurred to me that I wouldn’t at some time return to music.
When I retired I began harp lessons and bought myself a beautifully restored pedal harp, and at almost the same time learned that I had arthritis in at least two fingers, and my left pointer quickly became deformed. Almost at the same time, my voice was severely damaged by medications.
So, H*ll bent for music, but no instrument. Along comes my grandson, who is born with an orthopedic handicap. At about 2 1/2 years old, he began to ask to see tubas and French Horns and trombones on my iPad.
OF COURSE, I bought him a pBone, and since it was 2’ taller than he, I started to play it myself, and was amazed to find that I could actually play a scale on it. One day while watching pictures of tubas, the grandson came across a bunch of people in holiday gear playing tubas. “Yikes!”, I thought, “That REALLY looks like fun!”
Out of my misty past I remembered when I wanted more than anything to play Sousaphone, and wasn’t allowed to because “Girls don’t”. NOW, girls DO!
I’ve played euphonium for almost 3 months in a community band, have connected to a great teacher, and practice every day. I’m within inches of being able to get through the euphonium parts of the Holst Suites, and aiming at Grainger. Can’t wait to get a tuba.
I will never NEVER stop again. This thread is amazingly inspiring. You are my HEROES.