Benny Goodman, eat your heart out

I have taken up the clarinet. Yes, I have. Since noone ever said, "Hey, Susan, get out your tuba and let's sing a few songs," and since I couldn't afford a tuba in my wildest dreams anyway, I rented a student clarinet for three months to give it a go.

It was either that or the drums.

So far I can barely get out one or two notes, and I'm not sure I understand the fingerings at all. (Tubas have three, maybe four valves total--these wind instruments are outta control!) But I've only had the thing for an hour, so that's not bad.

I'm particularly fond of the book--it's for 5th graders, with drawings of cherubic children assembling their clarinets and forming proper embouchure. Sure, and if my 5th grade band teacher were here, I might be doing a bit better, too!

I've ordered a book with a CD, so perhaps I'll know if I'm hitting the right note. Wish I had perfect pitch. But then, if I did, I could just join a chorus.