Piccolo Debut

Four notes on the piccolo.

"Did you hear them?" Aaron asked after Monday night's All-School Band Concert.

A month ago, his teacher asked for a flutist volunteer to play the piccolo for a massed-band song. Aaron explained, "Nobody else wanted to, so I raised my hand."

Aaron practiced the piccolo part on his flute. Two weeks later during his jazz band (trombone) lesson, Aaron said the band teacher let him try the piccolo.

"Why don't you bring piccolo home to practice?" I asked. "I'd love to hear you play. How big is your part?"

Aaron said, "Four bars – one line. I've got to figure out some of the high notes first."

A week before the concert, Aaron still hadn't practiced the piccolo with the band. I called his flute teacher who agreed to show Aaron the piccolo fingering during his regular lesson in four days. Unfortunately, Aaron missed the lesson – the whole junior high was away at a two-day camp retreat. No piccolo. No practice... Nothing over the weekend either.

This afternoon I picked up Aaron after baseball. On our drive home, Aaron said, "I went in the band room this morning, got the piccolo and figured it out on my own. It's not as hard as I thought."

"You're going to play all four bars tonight?" I asked. Aaron confidently nodded, "Yep!"

An hour later, Aaron walked into the gymnasium with both his flute and the piccolo. He played the flute during the junior high band's numbers. Later the massed band (grades 5-12) took the stage. Aaron found his place up front. As the conductor cued the various sections, Aaron paged through his music folder. He grimaced.

As this sixth grader's mother, I knew that look and understood: No music. And... no time to find it. I figured: No debut.

Midway through Bob Margolis' "The Battle of Pavane," Aaron picked up the piccolo. Quickly, I poised my camera and he played. It was over in a wink, but Aaron debuted. My mom poked me and whispered, "I heard him – all Four Notes!"

"Four Notes!" Aaron announced afterwards. "Did you hear them? I played them by ear!"

Grandma Sue interjected, "I DID. Four HIGH notes!"

"I saw you scrambling for your music," I said. "What happened?"

"I left it on the other music stand," Aaron replied. "I couldn't remember all four bars just four notes."

Four notes on the piccolo for a perseverant debut.