Band

We are just back from the Cal High Area Band Festival. What was supposed to be an evening of watching my boy playing with bands from elementary, middle schools and the Cal High wind ensemble, he was sitting on the bench with us watching his band mates play. Because apparently, there was never any intention to have any keyboardist in the 8th grade or any of the pieces for that matter, and the band teacher did not bother to bring the keyboards. His name along with that of his fellow keyboardist who always rotate with him, were not even in the printed program, omitted from the long list of names. The boy was told to just hang around; the other keyboardist just sat with the band, hands on laps. They both were not given even the slightest hint that they would not be playing and had dutifully shown up, music scores in hand, all dressed up. To think we had rushed to first Marshalls and then Target to get a new pair of pants and new shoes because he had outgrown the old ones. I was very disappointed and rather mad with Mrs Brown. Was planning to write an email to ask why she would subject two kids to such humiliation. That is, until the boy told me not to - I think he just does not cherish any kind of confrontation with his teacher - and that she may have been given the pink slip as a result of the school budget cut. Then I could not find it in my heart to be mad anymore. The school would lose its one and only band teacher. There would be no more bands. That is a terrible thing to happen to the school and the kids. This budget crisis is hurting people who don't deserve to be hurt. I am sad for both Mrs Brown and the kids.

Looking at Mrs Brown the whole evening, you would not know what was happening. She was her usual frumpy, slightly "sua ku" self, wandering all over the floor, touching a kid now and then and not showing any particular remorse over the boy's sense of loss as to what to do with himself. And just a week ago, we were listening to her bubbling over, sharing with the parents the plans for the band's trip to Disneyland to play at the recording studio, assuring the parents the kids would be fine. What a shame!