Is it a sex blog? A mommy blog? A bitch & moan blog? Um, . . . yeah. This is my place to be totally honest. In my real life, I feel like I'm always lying to somebody about something. Here, I am totally honest. Brutally so. However, no matter what bad things I say about my kids, I adore them and would never ever really, say, sell them on Ebay. The husband, often referred to as Spousehole, is another story. Oh yeah - if you are under 18 (or if you are my husband), please leave now.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Mute Monday - Music

Here the two instruments at which I am most skilled, although I also have played (for specific concerts or pieces) alto sax (jazz band), tenor sax (jazz band), English horn (orchestra/symphony), cymbals (marching band), and bass clarinet (symphony band).
Oboe
My absolute favorite; I played in bands and orchestras until my early 20s,
when law school had to take precedence.
I tried to pick it up again last year, but I've totally lost my embouchure.



I began playing the clarinet, a single reed instrument, when I was 10, but switched to oboe, a double reed, when I was 12. I continued playing the clarinet for marching band, though one year I played cymbals when we needed more percussionists for the Tulip Time parades. I loved playing clarinet in jazz and pep bands. I can still pick up a clarinet and play decently ~ embouchure isn't such an issue with a single-reed instrument, though I worry about ruining years of expensive orthodontia.

My high school marching band, September 1984,
in the stands at a football game. That's me in the red circle, with my 1984 semi-mullet and excessively curled & teased bangs. I scanned this out of my yearbook - the original was fuzzy too.


13 comments:

h said...

Great stuff! Tulip Time? I can play the clarinet a bit.

Happy Mute Monday!

Vic said...

Oboe. I love its mellow sound. So pure and lovely. I'm envious that you can play it.

Anonymous said...

Awesome! Great MM!

BirdMadGirl said...

Great idea for the post and it's nice to learn a bit of your history along with it :) I've actually always wanted to play the flute... not sure where I'm going to use a skill like that at 33, but I will learn how to play it one day ;)

Happy MM!

Aunty Belle said...

Gabriel's Oboe!! My most very favorite oboe melody.

TUG said...

I like the sound of an oboe, but never really liked the clarinet. I played the trumpet for many years but had to stop because of my braces. I just couldn't get high notes after that.

Anonymous said...

Great MM. I love the Oboe too. My daughter is switching to it in High School. Right now she's on clarinet.

Jim said...

You must be an amazing kisser . . .

XO

Vixen said...

Awesome! Thanks for sharing and taking us down memory lane ;)

Dial-Up Princess said...

happy mute monday

Kiki said...

I've always wondered what an oboe was! Great pics - I wish I could play something!

Happy Monday!

sparringK9 said...

i love that first photo....i dropped out right after the "recorder" stage in first grade. howwwwwl. happy MM

Anonymous said...

A fellow former band geek! lol I used to play the clarinet in Concert band during middle school, and during high school I played it during marching band and Windensemble. I also got the chance to play Bass Clarinet and Bassoon too. Good times.

Happy MM!!