-PB in About 20 Years

Well, the 6th grader has started band. There was a time when I had hoped maybe he'd "do it in 7 positions", like his dad did back in the day. However, he decided he wanted to give percussion a shot. That's fine with me, as I've really grown to appreciate some remarkable drummers over the past several years. (See video above.)

So we show up for the little audition thingy. It was very similar to what I did in 6th grade. You give them your first and second choices, and they let you try them and see what's best suited for you. There was a group of 5 students there during our time slot, and -PB went last in the group.

Of the 4 that went ahead of him, 3 wanted to play percussion. The tryout went something as follows: Sit down in a chair in the middle of the room, in front of the high school director. He instructs you to stomp, you stomp. He instructs you to clap, you clap. Stomp, clap. Stomp, clap, stomp, clap. Stomp, clap, stomp, clap, clap. And so on. The big finale was clapping the ole "Shave and a Haircut." (At this point, for some reason, I'm flashing back to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit.")

Of the 3 wannabe percussionists that went before -PB, 3 were denied. They did, however, sprout into 1 budding trumpeter and 2 future saxophonists. As they were trying to repeat the rhythms they were given, I asked -PB if he saw what they were doing right and wrong. I asked him if he saw what the director was looking for. I noticed he was sort of tapping the rhythms on his chair, and was doing pretty well. Finally, The moment of truth arrives. It's his turn.

He sits in the chair, and the director asks who he's got here. After -PB tells him his first name, the director looks at the chalkboard, which has the students' first and last names on it. He reads the last name, slowly. "So...and...so..." Then he says it again. "So-and-so." He asks, "You wouldn't happen to be one of those So-and-so's, would you? From the So-and-so family that Mr. Tucker says was the most musically talented family to ever pass through the Mayfield School System?" He's looking over at me, now. "You know he says that about you guys, don't you?" I told him I had no idea. He replies, "Well, he does."

I'm somewhat stunned at this point. Not to dwell on the whole "most musically talented" part, because I don't really agree. He could have felt that way for a number of reasons, including some great musicians didn't have siblings or siblings that played, some musicians took choir instead of band, this director had never taught the Cantrell family, or he modestly chose not to include his own children. Nonetheless, he apparently said it, and I was quite proud that the bloodline received a little respect.

So, -PB starts his stomping and clapping. Being totally unbiased, I must say he does pretty darn well. When he finally gets to the "Shave and a Haircut", I notice he rushes the "a Hair" just a tad. He repeats it, and again he rushes it ever so slightly. At this point, the director shoots me a little glance, and we both smile a little. He turns to the middle school director and says, "Well, that was easy. Percussion." And so, the dynasty continues.