when i entered 6th grade taking a band class was mandatory. i think it was part of a deal where the music program was funded by an instrument store that everyone had to buy their instrument from. feels deeply crooked in hindsight but i didn't see that as a kid, just that i'd be getting an instrument - ThreadSky

jenyetagain.bsky.social • 2 days ago

when i entered 6th grade taking a band class was mandatory. i think it was part of a deal where the music program was funded by an instrument store that everyone had to buy their instrument from. feels deeply crooked in hindsight but i didn't see that as a kid, just that i'd be getting an instrument

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serenegoddess.bsky.social•2 days ago

My school didn't offer music at all. I'm glad school must, now.

trishasnakes.bsky.social•2 days ago

Thats like half the plot to The Music Man

robinofbroccoli.bsky.social•1 day ago

We did beginning in fourth grade. We rented instruments from the school - probably not sanitary now that I think about it - and we had to learn how to read music.

It was glorious.

jenyetagain.bsky.social•1 day ago

The closest we came in grade school was playing the bells, which in hindsight was way cooler than I thought at the time.

robinofbroccoli.bsky.social•1 day ago

The bells are super cool. I don’t think my high school even had bells. Just xylas and triangles

jenyetagain.bsky.social•2 days ago

naturally, i wanted to play THE coolest instrument, the flute. elves play the flute. link played the flute. also i loved peter and the wolf as a kid. you'd have to be an idiot not to pick the flute, if you could pick any instrument.

jenyetagain.bsky.social•2 days ago

what happened next, and i am not kidding, completely changed the trajectory of my life. i think there were a lot of experiences like that in sixth grade. funny how that works out, right?

so, we had to meet with salesmen from the instrument shop "to make sure we found the right instrument"

jenyetagain.bsky.social•2 days ago

part of that was above board, i'm sure. if kids picked on their own instruments the whole marching band would be flutes (go irish!) which would be very bad for the school and its music program because it would eclipse the football program in popularity

jenyetagain.bsky.social•2 days ago

so the salesmen were partly there to sell the right number of each instrument, enough for our marching band, enough for our symphonic band. and to make sure kids were the right size for our instruments (not every 12 year old is right for the upright base). he was also there to say "flutes are gay"

jenyetagain.bsky.social•2 days ago

so, there i am, sitting with my mom and a balding bassoon salesman with a mustache. "you put down flute as your first choice?"
"yeah, flutes are cool."
"can't do it, kid. flutes are gay."

"jen, he did not say that. not in front of your mom." who's telling this story me or the you i'm writing??

jenyetagain.bsky.social•2 days ago

"flutes are gay."
my mom looked sad and frustrated. she looked that way every time she had to come into my school, but this was different. she put her hand on my shoulder reassuringly and said "yeah flutes are gay."

and that was mostly that, despite my objections.

lorekeeperlyrecat.bsky.social•2 days ago

I read your thread and it breaks my heart. I also knew enough to know that when I joined sixth grade band, I had to pick a brass instrument or else risk being bullied.

So I picked trumpet. It paid to learn how to be loud, but I think I would’ve enjoyed my time more with something else.

socalsilencer.bsky.social•2 days ago

And guess what? You learned from it. The Arts are a beautiful thing.
I hope you took that part of your education forward.

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