He admitted it…

So tonight we were talking about something kind of related to the topic that ended the discussion, but not entirely related.

I read the following quote:

“Never look at trombones. It only encourages them.”
                                                     ~ Richard Strauss

I am not entirely sure what the quote means, so I called my musically inclined children to attention and asked if they could make sense of it as I am sure it had some significance. Needless to say, the discussion that followed did not provide any more clarity on the quote.

What did follow, however, was Andrew’s trombone impression. That was pretty funny. I wish I had captured that on video for posterity’s sake. That would have brought laughter for generations to come. His brother was in hysterics. It did not stop at the trombone. There was many other instruments as well.

The discussion then went on how the cello clinician at Etude Camp was making animal noises on the cello. There was the cow sounds that were mighty impressive according to the account I got from Andrew. If his face was to tell the story again, I think the $40 spent on Etude Camp was well spent just to see that face he made tonight. I think he enjoyed himself.

Of course we could not leave Kyle out of the Etude Camp discussion because Kyle actually admitted that he LEARNED SOMETHING!!! Be still my beating heart! Kyle learned something, but most importantly he admitted to learning it. I asked him how his larger viola was working out for him and he said it was great. I asked him if he was sad that we did not get it sooner and he admitted that he was a little. He then admitted that he wished that Etude Camp had been a little sooner. What he did not come out and admit is that he learned something that was so useful he could have used it for his audition…and that it might have actually helped him perform better. No, he did not say that. I will take him simply stating that he wished that it had been sooner as evidence enough that the $40 was well spent on him as well.

So there you have it, a totally non-related quote sparked a conversation about something that revealed the true depth about how much the appreciated (at least for Kyle) the money that was spent on Etude Camp this summer. In my mind it was the best $80 spent just knowing they both enjoyed it and they both learned at least one thing new.

Now if I can just keep Kyle practicing all summer long…