This is the Question

To brag, or not to brag? Believe it or not, I've tried to not make my blog a place to brag about my amazing children with their amazing talents, and amazing grades, ad nauseum.

But, I've just gotta'. Forgive me.

I had two very brave boys audition for All-District band this past weekend, one at the high school level, and one at the junior high school level. Kids from all over this section of our great state came to the local high school to test their nerves and ability, in an attempt to make it into an elite band.

My sweet Logan decided to give it a go, even though his jitters and procrastination in making the decision to audition only gave him a week and a half to work on the audition music. His band teacher further sweetened the deal, telling him that if he made it, she would bump him up to the 8th grade Varsity Band at school, a coveted thing for a lowly seventh grader.

Adam also wanted to audition; he made it last year at the junior high level and had a pretty good experience. But this year he was auditioning with the 10th-12th graders, not the 7th-9th graders. Tougher group, waaaaay tougher audition music. We're talking, Holy Smokes!, Yikety-Yikes!-hard music.

So, I drove them to the high school and we entered the cafeteria, the official warm-up room. Have you ever been in a large, hard-surfaced room where approximately 400+ kids with instruments of all varieties are faithfully and earnestly playing their audition music? Of course, not at the same time, or in the same key, or at the same level of ability...

Let's just say that it was a major Excedrin day.

While my boys warmed up (without blowing out their chops, we hoped), I helped the poor lone woman at the concessions table sell doughnuts, orange juice, candy, pizza, and about a semi-truck load of Dr. Pepper. Go Band Boosters! Then we slipped out for Adam's audition. Being the experienced one, he knew it was better to audition early and get it done, rather than be #35 on the list. He was nervous, and wasn't perfect, but from my position in the hall with my ear to the door, he sounded pretty solid. Now we just had to wait for Logan's turn at the trumpet room.

Two hours into auditions, they got to #35. Yes, my Logan was #35 of 45 junior high trumpeters that auditioned. I think there must be a special place in heaven for people who can listen to 45 junior high kids squeak and squawk through scales and excerpts of concert pieces. Either that, or maybe we need to rethink our prison system.

Expecting a melt-down of nerves in the hallway, I came ready for anything, but Logan was actually pretty calm until his name was called and he had to walk in there all alone. Again, from my ear-to-the-door post, he sounded pretty good, though even he admitted that his chromatic scale was more than a little shaky. I think the word he used was "crappy." Oh well, he'd done it, and earned himself some serious band extra credit points. Now we had to wait for the list to be posted.

We went to Wal Mart. What can I say--those judges can take forever, the boys wanted to get out of there and breathe some other air, and Josh had a birthday party that afternoon. I am nothing if not a multitasker!

Upon our arrival back at the high school, Adam was greeted with many high fives from friends. It appears he had made it. In fact, he was the first chair clarinet! That's my boy. Now we had to wait for the junior high trumpet list to be posted. Eventually, Logan's band teacher came over and told him that they hadn't officially posted yet, but that he was the second alternate. He was very happy, very relieved, and suddenly very hungry. His name was on the list, and that was much, much more than he had ever hoped for.

I just hope he wasn't too embarrassed by having his mom totally bear hug him in the high school cafeteria.

Isn't it wonderful when you see your kids try something really intimidating, and have some success, even great success with it? I think that is one of the greatest joys of this mom-hood gig I'm doing; watching my kids develop talents I don't have, try things that I'm too chicken to do, and grow and develop into smart, talented, capable people. Now if I could only get them to pick up their socks.