Day 52: Learn To Play The Trumpet

I have always loved music, but unfortunately never devoted the time or energy to learning how to play any one instrument. However, I have been blessed with a family that is full of talented musicians. Two of my cousins are excellent trumpet players and I was just lucky enough to get one of them to give me a trumpet lesson.

I have to admit that as much as I love listening to trumpeters, I have never had a strong attraction (or any for that matter) toward learning to play it myself. I figured it was something I could do for my blog that would be fun for both my cousin, Jim, and I. Writing this now, post lesson, my opinion has taken a 180 degree turn. I really, really enjoyed playing the trumpet. So much, in fact, that I knew some frustration over not having taken a lesson sooner!

I didn’t really have any goals going into the lesson in terms of being able to play any certain song. I wasn’t sure I would even be able to get that far. My cousin, on the other hand, told me prior to the lesson that he wanted to get me playing songs by the end. Whatever you say, teacher. If you teach, I will learn.

Jim was an excellent teacher- much different from my violin teacher:)- and started me off buzzing. Yes, buzzing. Like a bee. Let me tell you, I make a great bee. In fact, I’ve dressed up as bee multiple times in my life.

Anyways, from the buzzing we went to playing notes on the trumpet and then… I started playing songs. Yes! So soon! I mean, they weren’t long or complicated songs. But by the end of the lesson I had graduated from Hot Cross Buns to Ode to Joy to Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star. I went from buzzing to sounding as smooth as honey :) Ok, maybe it wasn’t that smooth. It was probably more like crunchy peanut butter. At least I didn’t look like a chipmunk eating the chunky peanut butter, thank goodness there were no chipmunk cheeks.

Although the basics of trumpet playing came somewhat easily to me, I have a whole new level of appreciation for my cousins, the trumpet players. I can’t imagine being able to hit note after note spot-on, with such beautiful sound. Amazing.

Thank you, Jim, for opening up a whole new world of brass to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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