Playing the trumpet

So, I finally got to play with my wife's band on Sunday. I was happily pushed back a week, which gave me more time to practice and get my embouchure back. There were several hundred people at the park, which was nice to see.

Playing in the band was great. I didn't know if I'd ever get a chance to play in a real ensemble again, and this was the finest group of musicians I've ever played with. I only know of one other who didn't have at least a BA in music, and he was also subbing. He's a guy H and I actually used to play with in our college marching band, and he's also better than I am. Luckily for me, the summer concert series is a bit easier, with so much music to perform in such a short time, so with a fair bit of practice, I was just able to keep up. I only had to fake a few measures.

H played the repiano trumpet part for this concert, which is a lot more exposed and difficult than the second cornet part I played, and she did a great job. She got compliments from the band director and the usual repiano player.

Also at the concert, it happened to be baby R's first birthday. We ended up playing "Happy Birthday" for a couple of sponsors at the concert, and right during the song, R, who was sitting with the other kids and their grandparents on the front row, stood up and started walking for the first time! He had taken one or two steps a couple of times, but this time he took six or seven. I guess he was just waiting for a grand stage and his birthday celebration. He is certainly a cute kid, and every concert now total strangers have taken his picture, once for the arts commission and twice just people who wanted to email us cute pictures of him.

Well, I have lot more going on that's kept me from posting, but it's not all bloggable now, so hopefully I have more to report soon.