Concerto Number II

Today was the night of my second band concert. It was a bit shaky at first, but it turned out really well!

First problem was that my oboe decided to go a half step flat. It didn't matter as much in the concert music (I'd be drowned out by 5 clarinets and 4 flutes anyway), but my friend Kari and I were doing an oboe-flute duet. It was going well until today, when WHAM! It sounded horrid.

My band teacher looked a little mortified as I told her that I didn't think I could use oboe for the duet. However, all was not lost. I pointed out that I could also play the flute, and I might be able to play my part of flute. She shrugged, handed me her flute, and we tried it. Behold! It worked.



I did mess up in a few parts, but bear in mind: I practically sight-read that thing. I had played it once on flute before, and that's it. However, my friend Katie was rather impressed, and she's a REALLY GOOD flutist.

After our songs, I was feeling a bit deflated. I had (What I thought) messed up major-time on my duet, and my oboe was STILL freakishly flat. I sort of felt like crawling under a rock and dying. Then again, I also felt like sending the flute over to the Salvation Army's metal collection, but I refrained from both tempting urges.

At the end, Mrs. Redmon was giving out awards. I wasn't really expecting to win Best Woodwind (I didn't), and I wasn't that upset about it. I play three different woodwinds, one of which I taught myself, so I knew I was one heck of a woodwind player, and didn't need a trophy to prove it.

However, Mrs. Redmon also gives out her own awards that aren't voted on by the band students. She gives out awards for Most Improved and Most Outstanding Musician. I think it was two awards for Most Improved (one for seventh grade, one for eighth). The Most Outstanding had four, two for each grade level. Imagine my surprise when she looked in my direction and called me up to receive my award:



THAT, my friends, was a truly awesome night!