The flute

Last week I was a little bummed out that I wasn't asked (or even considered) to play a musical number for Grandpa W's funeral. So I made the decision that I needed to get some musical numbers ready and make sure that people know that I'm ready and more than willing to play any time (on either the flute or the piano). So last week I started practicing a little bit every day. One day DH asked me if I was practicing for something. I responded that no I wasn't practicing for anything in particular, just trying to get some of my skills back (fingers & embouchure get a little rusty when you don't practice regularly).

The very next day I got an invitation to play at a neighbor's house for a Music Fest that they are organizing. So I showed the invitation to DH and said, "Well, I guess I have been practicing for something." I'm excited and a little nervous for it. The couple that is putting this on are both very musical and they moved into the ward about 2 years ago. The wife (Cindy) has accompanied me before on the flute and we all sing in the ward choir together (she also played the piano for me when I was the ward choir director). Last year Cindy threw a surprise birthday party for her husband which was a night of music where anyone of all ages & talents could perform anything they wanted (Cindy asked me to play a flute number). They enjoyed the evening so much that they are doing it again this year. The event is this coming Sunday and I've picked one song that is really hard and I have never played before with an accompanist. I also picked a backup song in case we can't pull this one together in time. It will be a fun and challenging experience for me and give me a chance to play some songs that I normally don't get a chance to play for others. I also got called that same day by our ward choir director to ask if I could play for a number for ward conference this Sunday. Yea!!

It's interesting because we've had a few lessons in YW over the last couple of months about developing & sharing your talents. I think that sometimes gets hard when you get older because people seem very hesitant to ask others to share their talents. Whenever we get a new music chairperson in our ward and they send around a sign-up sheet for musical numbers, I always put my name down for the flute & piano and yet I very rarely get asked to play. And there just aren't many opportunities to continue with music when you don't play professionally.