And the Band Played On

I have now been to several band rehearsals, as they call the classes. I am also continuing to take lessons from Alex Pena. We have increased the time of each lesson from forty five minutes to an hour at Alex’s suggestion.

The band rehearsal is not for the feint of heart nor someone not skilled in at least the rudiments of Music. Without the weekly lesson, I would not be able to accomplish anything in the band class. As it is I’m hard pressed to keep up and really don’t. Alex is really a great teacher, not just for the violin, but for music in general. I am learning a lot from him; if I can only remember it.

My task now is to decide how far I want to go with this band thing. Some of the ladies I talk to at the class say they have been in Beginning Strings since 2001. That’s 16 years! I don’t think I can do that or even want to. So, what exactly do I want to do with my hopefully, soon to be learned violin skills? Or, for that matter, what do I want to do with my dulcimer playing skills, such as they are. What genres of music do I want to concentrate on? The pieces that we are working on in band are fine, but difficult for me now. They are: Dance of the Tumblers, El Toro and Shoe Symphony. If I don’t play with the band, what outlet will I have for music. Perhaps I should look into Fiddlers of the Genesee.