On the playing of musical instruments

This young man mastered classical guitar while being home schooled and just decided not to become a professional musician in favor of keeping it fun and a hobby. I agreed but was inspired with his skill and memorization discipline.

I learned the Tonette in 3rd grade, my folks bought me a trumpet in fourth grade with I played through the ninth grade including a year in marching band. I wish I had kept playing in the band in high school, but that ended my instrumental playing for twenty years until I bought a guitar which I still play and got into my Irish whistle phase in 2006.

I purchased a flute for my daughter when she was in sixth grade which she played quite well through high school, when she lost interest and it went up on the shelf.
I rescued it a year ago and learned to get a tone, play a scale, practice simple hymns.

Today I drove to Milano's Music, fought my way through Western Days exhibits and picked up that flute with was cleaned, repaded, and generally repaired. It is twenty years old but I was told it is a solid student flute.

The joy of playing guitar and flute for myself and not with perfection answers a deep need in me to make music. My love for the tones of the flute, for sharps and flats, and the expense of the refurbishing mean that my two valuable whistles with be going up for sale soon.