The Violin: Day One

Here it is, in all of it's glory.....the violin.

One of the benefits to Andrew's gifted academy is the music program.  This campus is offering an orchestra option along side the band instruction.  Apparently the instructor called Andrew out to the hall to ask him if he'd received formal training on the violin.  Normally, when he's called out to the hall by a teacher it's for less notable reasons.  This conference worked out for him.  Ever since then, he's been on a full on mission to get a violin.  OK, I relented.  I don't ever want him to accuse me of not supporting his dreams.

After school we went out to the music store and signed away my credit card for this thing.  We had everything we needed.  On the way home I asked..."So, do you know any songs?"  "Yeah, I do." He answered.  "What songs do you know?" I asked.  He responded, "All the regulars."  Immediately I assume, Hot Crossed Buns, Mary Had a Little Lamb....stuff like that.  He continued, "You know, the Hot Dog song and the Arizona song."  Apparently, we have different "regulars"

Pretty much as soon as we get that baby home, I want to hear the "Hot Dog" song.  We open it up and have a hard time getting that thing to make a sound.  I tighten the bow and try again....nothing.  Next,I put on the shoulder guard, nothing again.  Weird.  I pluck the strings and they feel fine, but maybe an adjustment is needed?  As I start twisting the first string, I explain to Andrew how important it was to not "over tighten" the strings.  Pretty much at the same exact moment the words "over tighten" were rolling out of my mouth, the little string popped like an old rubber band.  I smiled and said, "See, just like that."  I tried play it off, but we burst into laughter.  He's way too old to fall for that. 

This was the face he had after a couple minutes of no real sound coming out AND a broken string.  He relented and decided to just clean the three remaining strings.  Oh well, maybe we'll ask about our "issues" when I take the thing in for repair.  I'll be sure to omit the fact that I was the one to cause the damage.  Not important information.