Ted’s essays

instrumental

trombones louderIn public school 4th grade, kids who “got it” with the plastic flutes the year before were offered loans of real instruments and lessons in their use.

Trombone was IT.

I turned down all proffered alternatives until a trombone became available. It was the only sound I was interested in making; instrument I wished to play.

Many decades later, acoustic bass snuck in as a possible interest. everybody talks during the bass solo If ever I had to play something other than trombone, I decided the upright bass would be it.

Fate delivered me to a place where I have been unable to find people to play my trombone with, but a bass would be enthusiastically welcomed.

I still enjoy playing my horns with my ‘band in a box’ – a couple hundred songs with sheet music for the lead parts and the rest of the parts recorded for my playalong pleasure.

But every Thursday finds me playing the bass in a jam session with a bunch of string pluckers on mandolins, guitars, fiddles, and sometimes a banjo, dobro and more.

I like the irony of these two jokes … that what my instrument selections are renowned for are direct opposites.