Guest: Band Geeks

When Keith and I returned from Uganda with our two newest blessings some things had changed. Change #1… Our eldest Briley and I stood eye to eye for the first time. Yes, it happened. I now have a child that is about the same height as me. By the end of the year I will be looking up to my oldest son. And he loves it!

Change #2… Someone in the band department at Briley’s school thought that it would be really funny to change his instrument to the tuba while we were gone. You see, they have a hard time getting moms to agree to their child playing tuba. With Keith and me out of the country, and nobody to tell them no, they saw the opportunity and made the switch. Let me say this, I have a mini van which seats 6 in the back. I have 6 children. Where would one fit a tuba knowing that once in the carpool line you must be ready to jump out with everything in your lap? Because if your child does not exit the car swiftly the honking WILL begin. So, the day arrived when the blessed tuba was to start coming home and going back to school each day. The coming home part went just fine. I got to the school early, parked and we hoisted the case carrying the tuba into the back of the van. Briley happily played, and played, and played the afternoon and evening away. KaiaRose thought there was an elephant in the basement. The next morning I had a plan of attack. We would hoist the tuba into the front seat. Once stopped in the carpool line, Briley would hop out of the back seat, open the front door, grab the ginormous tuba, slam the door and be on his way. But ya know how sometimes even a good, well thought out plan doesn’t always play out as you had predicted?

It went something like this. Kendric, KaiaRose and Clark hopped in the back. Elena, Grant and Briley sat in the middle. I hoisted the tuba in the front passenger seat, closed the door and walked around to sit in the driver seat. I sat down, shut my door, put the key in the ignition and started the car. I went to put the car in reverse… but the tuba case was shoved up against the shift and I couldn’t get my finger on the button that needed to be pushed in to put the car into reverse. So some smarty pants in the back suggested opening the door, pulling the tuba out enough to let me get the car into reverse, putting the tuba back in and driving up the driveway…. which is precisely what we did. Then once up the driveway, we opened the door, pulled the tuba out slightly and I was able to shift into drive. Tuba back snuggled against me, we drove to school.

Let me just tell you it was all I could do to not drag all six children into the school once we arrived with the tuba and walk up to the band director and say, ‘Seriously?… Are you kidding me? This isn’t funny band geek.’ But I had to get the other kids to school. Briley successfully removed the tuba, which weighs more than he does, and hauled it into school swiftly without producing honking from cars behind us. Determination at work.

After school Briley had a tuba lesson. You see All County Band auditions were right around the corner and Briley desperately wanted to be sitting in one of those four tuba seats. My mind was made up. Boys who weigh less than the tuba and have five siblings just shouldn’t play the tuba. He could fight for one of the all county trombone chairs. I saw my chance. With the five little ones in tow, I was going to break up with the tuba and reunite our love affair with the trombone.

We walk towards the band room. I am sure. No more tuba. I don’t care if he cries, begs me to change my mind, or throws a raging fit. No more tuba. No more tuba. No more tuba. Then I open the band room door and hear the elephant noises and I see the back of Briley’s head. He is finishing up his lesson. When he plays his last note, all five kiddos start clapping wildly… like they were at their first rock concert wild, like Briley was a superstar wild.

The band director turned and saw our cute family adoring their big brother. He asked if he may have a word with me alone. Perfect. I can now end this tuba foolishness. We stepped a few steps away, just far enough away from the kids that if we talked quietly nobody could hear us. He started, ‘Mrs. Penner. I have taught band for possibly longer than you have been living. And in all those years I have never seen someone grasp the tuba like your son has. It is amazing. In three weeks he has gone farther than some kids who are on their second year of playing have gone. I want to keep working with him after school (for free) to give him some more practice.’

I couldn’t get a word in. The man was so excited he wasn’t even taking a breath… just spouting out his words. ‘I realize with the size of your family, transporting a tuba back and forth might be near impossible. And I am just assuming, but knowing you just adopted two children, I can see that purchasing a tuba to keep at home could be out of the question. So how about we loan Briley two tubas (for free, not renting). We will keep one here and you can take this tuba home and keep it through the end of middle school. If Briley keeps up his practicing, he has a very good chance of getting a college scholarship playing the tuba.’

Last night we sat at the All County Band Concert. Briley sat in the fourth tuba chair. He was one happy little tuba player. And I was one happy little tuba mom.

Wonder if they make ‘Tuba Mom’ bumper stickers?

Jena Penner
www.packofpenners.blogspot.com