Trombone it is

I'm happy to report that, after a surprisingly brief struggle, the contest between the trumpet and the trombone for my daughter's musical attention has been resolved, and she's decided that she really does want to be a trombonist after all. This is pretty much what I suspected would happen -- the trumpet looked cool when somebody else was playing it, and those keys seemed so much easier than that darn slide, but when it came to actually reading notes in a different clef and learning fingerings and playing instead of noodling, the appeal dimmed. We both felt bad firing the cute young trumpet teacher after only three lessons, and we do still have a rented trumpet for three more months, but in the end, I'm glad the battle was brief, if only because the beginnings of learning an instrument are always fairly agonizing for the listeners, and she's tortured that poor horn enough. The best part of all this, I think, is that the trombone lessons she had to agree to to get the trumpet lessons are ongoing, missy, and will help her feel more confident and competent in her chosen instrument. Chosen as of now, anyway. Let's hope the onset of band in the fall doesn't find her coveting the clarinet, or the drums. At least if she'd fixate on the flute, she could use my old band instrument.