Fourteen years ago today was the last concert for Katie. After years and years of lessons, practice, recitals, concerts and even a CD recording this was it. No more PYJO concerts, no more summer picnic recitals with her solo teacher, no more school concerts, no more competitions.
We didn't realize it was going to be the last though.
We knew it would be the last of that round for us. She was on her way to college in just a few weeks and that portion of our lives was closed. But we sort of figured she'd keep playing. Maybe sit in with PYJO when she came home over the summer. We bought her a silent mute so she could practice at school without making too much noise for roommates and dorm mates, but she was busy. Classes and studying and labs and without the reason for practice (no concerts or competitions means no real drive to practice) meant she just didn't play anymore.
So that was it. A chapter closed.
And the next year was really weird. We had gotten used to working schedules around her various lessons and practices. We had marked time passing with Fall concerts, Christmas Concerts, winter Jazz competitions, Spring concerts and Summer workshops. Multiple bands and multiple rounds of these things for years. And then...nothing.
We had no idea who the best high school jazz bands were for the first time in four years. We didn't know who was guest slotting in with the advanced PYJO band for their performances. We didn't have a single concert on our calendar.
So weird.
We got used to it. But there are still times when I miss hearing her play. She started in elementary school, after all. I did ask her the other day if she ever missed it, and she said a little. She had actually recently picked up her trumpet just to see if she could still make a recognizable sound out of it. If she ever wanted to get back to playing she would need to have it worked on, a good cleaning and such. But at least she knew she still had it somewhere in there.
I never played an instrument when I was growing up. In middle school they started a band program and they did a test it out and see what instrument you might want to play day. We got to choose what we wanted to play and then try out a handful of other things. I remember trying the flute but don't remember if that was my choice or just what they handed me. I think it was what they handed me, because I have a vague recollection of wanting to play the saxophone. What I do know is that when I brought the information home the cost of renting an instrument meant no band for me.
I did take piano for a semester my senior year. I needed a credit and it fit my schedule. And I wanted to learn piano. My friend Alex took the class as well and we both had a terrific time learning how to play random songs. But it wasn't the same as really learning an instrument. It was a filler class. Nobody was taking it seriously. We didn't learn to read music or any sort of theory, it was just put your fingers here and play. Super fun. But not the same.
Brent was a singer in school. All of the choirs. Zero hour classes for Entertainers (Highland's show choir). Concerts and competitions and all the same sort of schedule that Katie did. And again, didn't sing again after graduation. A few of our friends who were in choir with him went on to the show choirs at college, but the Navy didn't have one so...
We have friends who kept performing. One who is a music teacher for his day job and gigs constantly with bands and plays for his church. We have a couple of friends who were in bands after graduation. One who had a fairly successful one that even got to have the too many drugs and egos meltdown that marks early stardom. And one of our friends was successful when we met him and is still selling tickets for shows.
I always thought it would be really cool to have that talent.
But we have a lot more that were like Katie and like Brent who just don't play or sing anymore. Or if they do play or sing it's for their church, or at karaoke.
Not a lot of trumpet karaoke, but maybe she'll make it a thing and start again.
That would be cool.
And I would be there telling everyone "that's my talented baby...just listen to those high notes."
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