The Sounds of the Season

As a kid, my dad played the clarinet in school. He didn't play for too long before his lady music teacher grossed him out by putting her lipsticky lips all over his mouthpiece forcing him to give up band for hygiene's sake. (If I remember the story correctly.)

After I got my own clarinet, Dad bought a duet book so that we could play together. Every Christmas he would pull out his old clarinet, remind himself of the fingerings, and ask me to join him in making some holiday music. Being in high school at the time, and feeling myself too advanced a musician to play the little beginner pieces my dad could handle, I would tire of the musical evenings much too quickly for Dad's taste. But now, those hours on the couch, surrounded by the smell of evergreen and cork grease, seeing my dad's eyes sparkle at the fun of playing with his girl, are treasured memories.

This year I feel I've come full circle as Natalie and I got to play in a concert together for the first time. Natalie was the youngest member of the orchestra that performed at our annual Christmas Festival, and it was so fun for me to be able to share that musical experience with her. Even though she was bored a lot (there were only three songs with parts for bells and a lot of waiting time in between concerts) she did a fantastic job. I could see that sometimes she was doing things just to humor me (like condescending to have our photo taken with our instruments) which made me laugh as I remembered feeling the same way toward my dad's excitement. Like mother, like daughter. Maybe someday Natalie will look back on all this fondly, too.