Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Kids Say the Darnesest Things About Their Relatives

The kids are on vacation for a while, and I've already taught the few lessons that were scheduled for this week, so any darnedest things that they say will be unheard by me for the time being. Here's one I forgot to post a month ago, but even though it references Thanksgiving, it really pertains to holiday travel in general:

During the last lessons before Thanksgiving, I was asking people how much practice time they had over the break...

ME: So are you driving or flying?
KID: We're flying...and that means I don't get to practice at all! I'm glad we're taking the trip, but I hate that I can't practice.
ME: Well, it's not always easy to fly with a horn, so I guess I can see the point.
KID: But why can't I bring my instrument for Thanksgiving? I bet old people would love to hear me play.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Kids Continue to Say the Darnedest Things About Their Mistakes

This one was having rhythm problems...

ME: Those were eighth notes there, and you played them as quarter notes.
KID: Maybe they got a promotion.

Kids Continue to Say the Darnedest Things About Musical Terms

One of my high schoolers' solos has a section marked "meno mosso," meaning to slow down the tempo (the literal translation is "less motion"). I always quiz them on the meaning of terms like that--both to further educate them, and because their answers are often funny...

ME: So what does "meno mosso" mean?
KID: A little bit of moss?

Friday, December 11, 2015

Kids Say the Darnedst Things About Church

I mentioned something to a middle schooler about my usual 7:30 AM band call at church on Sundays, and his response was classic: "That's too early! The Lord's not even awake that early."

Monday, December 07, 2015

Kids Say the Darnedest Things About All-Region Band Tryouts

I was congratulating a student of mine who made a band, and he was reviewing his results over the years...

KID: I've never come in sixth before. I wonder what it's like to come in sixth and miss it by one...
OTHER KID (who actually did come in sixth and miss it by one, and was sitting on the floor out of view, but within earshot): It's pretty depressing.
KID: No! I thought you left! You weren't supposed to still be here! I'm so sorry!
ME: Well, that's awkward....