The First Little Traveller has just started Grade 6. She has entered the world of Middle School and life as we know it has changed. It appears there are some new rules. She now enters through a new gate, eats with the bigger kids in the Cafeteria and wears lipgloss (I’m choosing my battles people, it could be fishnets and a boob tube).
In the old days (as in 4 months ago), the 4 Little Travellers and I would arrive at school and exit the car together. It appears those days are over. I am now instructed to do a drive by drop off, I watch the First Little Traveller exit the car with the precision and speed of a experienced solider parachuting from a chopper. The backpack is strapped and before the car can even roll to a final halt she has jumped. A quick “bye Mum” but no kisses, no looking back. I gather that Mothers at School Drop off are about as cool as ringworms and floral underwear.
Life in Middle School means text books, switching classes, different teachers and rolling timetables. She now has a “home room” and she has choices. She chose French rather than Arabic or Spanish. She chose Band rather than Choir.
When it came time to choose her instrument, I was secretly hoping for Flute or Clarinet. Okay, it wasn’t a secret at all, I said my choices out loud, this was my first mistake. If there is anything I am learning about tweenhood, it is that my choices are both uncool and unnecessary.
She chose the Trombone.
I remarked on Facebook that my child had chosen an instrument that resembled one long continuous fart and after an hour of “practice” I was in need of a rather large glass of Gin. Someone reminded me that it could have been worse, it could have been the French Horn. So true.
Over the weekend the First Little Traveller explained her choice to me. The music teacher had told her that many of the girl’s Mothers usually chose the Flute because it was pretty, or a “girls” instrument. I assured her that I was thinking more of how much easier the Flute was to transport. And, that the Flute didn’t sound like one continuous fart. She giggled and said “it’ll be cool Mum, wait and see, Trombone can be really cool.”
A girlfriend of mine who’s currently based in Houston reminded this morning of the “Trombone Suicide”, she’d been to a High School Football match over the weekend and remarked on how “visually exciting” the music had been. I immediately googled. She was right.
Things have changed. As 3 of the Little Travellers and I make our way through the school gates, I am forced to watch the First Little Traveller heading in a different direction, making her way on her own. She’s making choices and it appears they’re not going to be the “girly” ones. She’s making the big brassy choices. I love it.
I just need a little bit more time to get used to watching from the sidelines.
Here’s the Trombone Suicide done by Colorado State University or (CSU).
Enjoy.
Any interesting musical choices at your house?
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Well that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do with a trombone!
I had many very happy years in the school band. I wish First Little Traveller much happiness (and good luck to everyone else!)
Funtastic stuff!! god forbid you have a bad hand day and turn the wrong way, wonder how many times they practiced and knocked each other out 🙂 love it!
That was FANTASTIC!! Love the new direction cheerleading is taking – who needs pom-poms. You GO First Little Traveller! Trendsetting instincts there Kirsty, you’ll be proud 🙂 no doubt about it. (But those milestones and gradual separation from us are bittersweet)
My number 1 has started 6th grade this year too and has just announced that she wants to take up drums. Thankfully there is an electric drum kit complete with ear phones available these days. Looking to purchase a good second hand set in Doha if anyone has a lead there. LOL. Know exactly how you feel about letting go of an 11 year old though. Sigh.
I spent 18 months at CSU in Colorado – that is pretty impressive – I don’t have any musical talent so yay for your daughter!
I was in band for many years (yes, I played the girly clarinet) but have never seen that – it’s awesome! Must pass on to my former students! I truly understand how hard it is to let them go although I’m a bit ahead of you – Son #1 heads for Uni in January… at our house, choices were trumpet, drums, and the cello; I was all for the violin, but the cello was enormous and very difficult to transport…I guess I should be thankful he didn’t choose the bass!
Cool video, and I can definitely empathize with you and the choices our children develop as they proceed through puberty and continue forever! I wish I could tell you it gets better, but, only in the joys and relief you are allowed to feel when they come home intact every day from here on out! I really love your posts!
LOVE that she is going for bold and brassy! Little chip off the old block, I’d say.
I love it as well. We now just need to work out how to sound proof a couple of rooms 😉
I sometimes wish I could just freeze time, I’m fine with no one getting any older. Is that bad?
Your house sounds fab, daughter number 2 tells me she is keen on the clarinet, by child number 4 I plan on renting them out by the hour (whatever the talent)
CSU looks like fun. Was it?
Big. Sigh. Drums! We have someone on the compound that has the drums of the earphone variety, I’ll ask if he knows anyone looking to sell. Worth a try.
Every time I think of band at school I just can’t get past “American Pie”.
“And this one time, at band camp!”
My son is the one in the video. He is still in band playing the trombone, and sometimes he gets hit. And I am the proudest Mom in the world.
Oh Amie, thank you for commenting. I love that your son is the one on the video. I was going to choose a different vid but I just loved the reactions of the very proud voices in the background. Can you tell him that my children have watched that vid over and over and over again – they LOVE it!
Thank you, I will tell him. Thank you for your kind words, I am happy to hear about the voices in the background–I always think my voice sounds weird, so I try not to say anything. The ones you hear, besides mine, is my other son Nick, my daughter’s –I think, and my husband–he’s the one taking the video.
I go to the CSU football games to watch my son and the band play. I don’t really mind who wins the game.
Best of luck to your daughter. If she stays with it, or does those suicides, or “#5’s”, it’s a good idea to rent one–like from the school–for the suicides–because if the trombones get hit–it costs a lot to fix them. It may not be your fault, but they still cost money to get fixed.
I love that she chose trombone. I have never been a fan of flute as even though it is beautiful you can hardly hear it in a band. I played clarinet in the high school band and much prefer the sax. It is way cooler and apparently easier but also bloody inconvenient – has resulted in Mr12 needing to be driven to school rather than biking way more than we like.
Middle school is sooo different to elementary. As my big boy virtually skipped 6th grade with the move that transition has been pretty full on. But now that we are a few months in I can see he is flourishing despite the constant complaining about HW volume (from him loudly, from me quietly).
Agree re picking battles. And if you said no she’d just be putting it on in the toilets after you drove off.
I play the trombone and i’m also a girl. i’ve been playing for 4 years now. once she learns how to play it, it will no longer sound like farts. I was going to be in the suicide last year, my freshmen year, but the older kids said that I was too stuff. hopefully I will be in it this year. my brother plays saxophone.
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