Chromatic scales and other painful things

The Younger has been taking violin lessons the past few weeks, and today, Father's Day no less, is the day of the Big Recital.

Oh joy.

[It's not Xenu—this isn't a Church of Scientology] [1] [2] He's been taking the lessons at a local church just up the street. The only reason I mention it being a church, frankly, is because of the odd banners they had hanging in the main hall. What I saw was an homage to the Whitley Streiber Grey Alien Brigade (Communion: A True Story by Whitley Streiber) [3], what with their flowing golden robes and what not. Wlofie [4] saw [DELETED-flying rats-DELETED] pidgins flying into a cooking fire.

Go figure what the church was trying to convey.

As we entered the hall I could hear the students tuning up their instruments. It was only after a minute that I realized they were not, in fact, tuning up, but were practicing (why else would the conductor be up there conducting?). A few more moments of listening to the chromatic chords being struck and I recognized the tune—George Gershwin's [5] Rhapsody in Blue [6], although it sounded more like Rhapsody in Wincing.

I guess that's the downside of a recital of non-professional-seeking music students.

Ouch.

The Younger's father had just arrived from Wyoming, and the plan was to stay until The Younger had finished performing, then both he and his brother The Older would then leave with their father, heading back to Wyoming for the summer. And since he had a tight schedule to keep, we left right after The Younger (and the rest of the beginner's class) performed.

At least, that's our excuse and we're sticking to it.

[1] /boston/2008/06/15/t.aliens.on.fire.jpg

[2] /boston/2008/06/15/aliens.on.fire.jpg

[3] http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0380703882/conmanlaborat-20

[4] http://wlofie.dyndns.org/

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Gershwin

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhapsody_in_Blue

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