The Young Musician

Brass instrument lessons are held every week at school but, so far, Laura hasn't had to bring one home.
"It's different to playing the clarinet, Nana," Laura said tonight as we did her clarinet practice. "You have to blow a raspberry into the mouthpiece to make a note and that's why your cheeks puff out." Mummy has had a word with Miss Johnson, at school, and told her that when it comes to playing music, the clarinet comes first for Laura. Miss Johnson, it turns out, used to play the clarinet herself so she's quite happy about that. She says the brass playing is part of the curriculum so they have to do it but she realises Laura may not make it a priority.

Laura says she, herself, and Anna and Vicky (who both have piano lessons) have a bit of an advantage over the rest of the class as they are learning to read music. I would love to be a fly on the wall when Class 4 are having their music lessons this year.

The clarinet lessons are going like a dream. Practice sessions are, largely, painless and often enjoyable. There's the odd time when nothing seems to go right, the reed gets raggy (I never realised how many reeds a clarinetist gets through), we get the odd squeak instead of a note and the rhythm goes wrong - but that's usually when Laura's tired. Mostly it's pleasant and, now that she can play C, D and E, she's playing little tunes. There's a CD that accompanies the music book and it plays an accompaniment to the student's clarinet playing. I particularly like the Cowboy Swing, it's got the steady tempo that makes you think of Roy Rodgers and Trigger clip-clopping along the trail. Can't wait 'til she can play "Begin the Beguine" like Artie Shaw.