Thanks, Ethan

Took a trip to Provo to see Ethan's Symphonic Orchestra concert. A little background is in order here. Back a few years ago, five to be exact, Ethan was in Karl's (our trumpet expert friend) Middle school advanced band. He had invited him to come down to Poway a couple times a week to play with them, Twin Peaks Middle School. It was Karl's last year, he was retiring. Karl had been Ethan's "mentor" for several years... well, ever since he first started taking trumpet lessons when I took him to Karl and he played for him and Karl said he was talented. Anyway, Ethan played with Karl's band in the end of year concert and for the last song Karl played Trumpeter's Lullaby by Leroy Anderson, accompanied by the band. It was truely beautiful and I'm a sucker for beautiful trumpet music and Ethan wanted the music. I looked on Ebay and found it and they were selling that one and another one by Leroy Anderson called Bugler's Holiday. When the music came in the mail (they were old and looked like genuine antiques), I don't remember whether we found a CD with it on it or listened to it on the internet, but we heard Bugler's Holiday and Ethan wanted to learn both of them. He did learn Trumpeter's Lullaby and played it for a Young Artist's Concert that some organization in Ramona puts on yearly, then again for a Church talent show. But Bugler's Holiday was hard, and fast, and seemed quite a bit beyond his abilities. I remember thinking, wondering, if he'd ever be able to do it. I knew he had the talent, even back then I knew it. But would he stick to it long enough to gain that ability? I didn't know.

Well, I'm happy to inform you (whoever's listening, or reading) that he did it, along with two others students, it's a trio, accompanied by the orchestra, at the concert we just went to at BYU, Provo, Utah! They played it as fast as the professionals too. They did a wonderful job and hopefully we will be getting a recording, along with the jazzband concert we missed a couple weeks prior to this one. It's hard to put into words the way I felt hearing this song that five years ago he wanted to play. I am very proud of him for all the years of hard work and practice and it gives me such joy to see him accomplishing things that I knew he could do but wasn't sure he would do.

Thanks, Ethan, for this gift you've given me.