The newest addition to our collection

We seem to be growing a collection of musical instruments. I heard Dallin telling his siblings, "Dad is a sucker for outdoor athletic equipment, and Mom is a sucker for educational things, espcially books and musical instruments." He was right.

Slightly before the beginning of the school year Kaylee joined the highschool marching band with her flute. Her enthusiam spread to Dallin and Jillian, and so when the opportunity arose a few weeks later, they joined the elementary, and middle school bands. Jillian on the clarinet and Dallin with a trumpet. They have had so much fun, and gained an incredible amount of musical knowledge. Every day Dallin comes home and says, "I love band." He tells me about the different songs they play, who is best on what instrument and about the annoying antics of some of the other children. He has also been talking a lot about the cool trombones that he sits next to. While his love for the trumpet has not decreased, his fascination with the trombone has continued to increase. Finally this weekend he managed to acquire one of his own.

He has been saving for a couple months, but was still far short of what he needed. In desperation he turned to his siblings. Somehow he managed to convince each of them that they should help pay for it. Kaylee, Jillian and even Madeline donated various ammounts, but that was still not enough. Next he turned to his Mother. "Mom, you just spent a lot of money on Kaylee for all her school clothes. Don't you think that a trombone would be far more EDUCATIONAL, and would last a lot longer than silly fashion clothes. Can you pay the same amount of money that you used on Kaylee to help me get a trombone?" Well, he had a point. He even volunteered to not have me buy him any clothes for the rest of the year. I started to cave in. I checked with Matt, and he actually agreed to do it. I think it reminded him of the time that he and his siblings pitched in together to buy a motorcycle. He was also relieved that Dallin was not asking for the latest video game contraption, a skate board, or any other brain or body killing devices.

Matt took him to the store on Saturday, and the instrument has been in almost constant use since then. Maddy loves it and has declared that when she gets to 5th grade, she will be playing the trombone. The cool thing about the trombone is there are no fingering positions to memorize. It is all based on how far one moves the slide in or out. To play the right notes, you have to just know by ear where the exact position is. It is excellent ear training. Today Kaylee was playing through the hymbook on the piano and Maddy was sitting beside her picking up the melody on the trombone as they went along. It was quite unique to hear the hyms being belted out of a novice trombone. I wouldn't recomend it for a sacrament musical number, but it was fun for a Sunday afternoon.

So here is our list of instruments. Piano, electric keyboard, guitar (bought on Deanne's impulse for Dallin that he never plays, but Kaylee picks it up every once in a while) flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, fife, recorder, alto saxaphone, and a mini steel drum. Kaylee has been asking for a piccolo to use during pep band season. I am fine with acquiring more instruments -- just as long as no one gets it in thier head that they need a drum set!