Amber Litzenberger

My musical experience has always been limited to three instruments: the recorder I played off-tune in Grade 3, the ukulele I played for a Christmas concert in Grade 7, and the keyboard that I taught myself to play while at my grandmother's.
I have always admired those that could really play guitar or piano, just like I admire those that can dance (Riverdance and Lord of the Dance were my two favourite movies for the longest time). However, it is not often that I get to see any of this up close. When I came to St Mary's school it was in my eighth school year and thus I missed out on band class, not that I noticed at the time.
This past Wednesday, after a mad rush to get home from work and look respectable, I hurried off to my sister's band concert. She's always been the one with the ear for musical instruments, the one that doesn't really need sheet music, and I was excited to hear her play. Little did I know that I would be just as happy to hear everyone else play.
Their performance, that is, all of the band's performance, was beautiful. The Senior band started things up with Eye of the Tiger,
one of my favourite songs. It was clear enough that I could sing along, so there I was tapping my foot and humming while people glanced sideways at me. Most of the songs had a bit of a story behind them, so Lenny Milo or Tera Collett would step up to the mic and let us in on the big secret then the band would play.
The band was divided into three segments: Junior band, Senior band, and the Grade 6 band. Band class is mandatory in Grade 6, and that was where my sister was playing. Afterwards, she said that they were so off-tune on the one song (again, she said) but I couldn't tell. I thought they all did wonderfully. Especially Lenny, who was the only Grade 12 student in the senior band and was thus graduating this year. It was an emotional parting as Mr. Mac, the band teacher, announced that he was band student of the year and everyone clapped.
Then Lenny turned it all around and made Mr. Mac band teacher of the year with a trophy he had bought himself. It was touching, and I bet that the whole band will miss Lenny next year.
All in all it was an awesome show, I was glad I got to be there.