Dear Mom and Dad:
You said band camp would be fun and educational, and you were right. We are learning all sorts of things in trumpet sectionals. Today I learned how to clean my instrument. It plays a lot better now that there are no bugs in the lead pipe.
My trumpet teacher Mr. Meister-dinger (or something like that) told me that I have a very interesting sound. He gave me a sheet of lip slurps that are supposed to make the lips stronger and do other good things I can’t remember right now. He says I should practice them every day at home. I’m not sure if you will want to hear them or not.
I spend most of the day practicing with the band. I have never played so much in my life. There are seven bands, and I am in the Aqua Band. (I think Aqua is the seventh band but I’m not sure.) I am eighth chair out of nine, and I sit by Raymond who does not even sit up straight. You would think his arms were made of Jello. His sound is interesting like mine but softer. The director told him to sit up. The director is nice but I can’t remember his name. He tells corny jokes like Mr. Frogvord back home. Do all directors have the same joke book?
I wish you had let me bring my cell phone. Other kids text in rehearsals, and I can’t. Those long rests can get so boring. It may be best that I didn’t bring it, though. Some people have had stuff stolen from their rooms. One kid had everything he brought stolen – a refrigerator with all his food and drinks in it, a microwave, a PlayStation 3, a George Foreman grill, and his laptop. They took everything but his trumpet. His parents made him come to camp, so I think he wishes his trumpet was taken instead of the other stuff.
We get to eat in the university cafeteria. There is some weird food I don’t recognize, so I play it safe and eat pizza, hamburgers, and ice cream at every meal except at breakfast when I only eat ice cream.
I went swimming last night and had lots of fun. The coolest part was when we got to see the lifeguard do CPR on a tuba player.
Tonight is a dance. Boring! I do not like to dance so I guess I will just hang out. I hear it smells in the ballroom with all those people. I think some kids don’t take a bath all week. Don’t worry, I’ll take one as soon as I get home.
Our concert is Saturday. I think we play first but I’m not sure what time. You’ll like the song Tromping Trumpets. The director says that’s exactly what we sound like. There’s one part that uses a straight moot. I need to buy one when I get home. You put it in the bell and it makes the sound softer and kind of funny. There are also other moots that you can buy me. There is a cup moot, a Harmon moot, and even one that looks like a bucket called a bucket moot. My director said that players sometimes use a toilet plunger. (That sounds kind of disgusting!)
My counselors are awesome. Don’t tell anyone but tonight we are going into town to buy fireworks and stuff. We’re going to hang up a poster of Justin Bieber and fire stuff at it to make the girls cry. (In case you don’t know, Bieber is that singer all the girls go crazy over.) There’s a clarinet player at camp that looks like Bieber so some of the girls like him since he’s the next best thing.
Thanks for making me come. I’m learning stuff just like you said. See you at the concert.
Musically yours,
Quinten
