That’s Music??

Here’s to Music,
Joy of joys!
One man’s music’s
Another man’s noise.
~Oliver Herford, English writer and illustrator

Monkey here.

I’m here to complain LOUDLY about that thing Mama calls a flute.

She brings it out Every. Single. Day. (well, almost) and blows on it forever (I can’t tell time, but it feels like forever).

Now some of you might not know it, but a flute-thing has a wide range, from low notes to high ones.

And it’s the high, screechy ones that get on my last nerve.

Besides doing lessons (at least until the cold weather prohibits it), Mama plays in something called symphonic band. I have no idea what that’s about, but she takes that flute-thing off in her car and is gone for ages.

And when she comes back, she’s all happy and stuff. Whistling and singing, even. And she gives me a treat for being good.

I’m just glad I don’t have to listen to that flute-thing. Every time I hear her practice, I bark, howl, and try to make music of my own.

I think I carry a nice tune, but Mama says it sounds like somebody’s pulling my legs off. Huh.

And she’s threatened to have Domer record it when he comes home for Christmas.

Before the weather turned cold, Mama used to go to the garage and practice in her car so I didn’t have to hear her. Sometimes she’d send me to the back yard so I could chase squirrels.

Now she’s got a little fan that she turns on High to drown out the din. It doesn’t work, of course, but I’m not going to tell her that.

I don’t want her freezing in the car.

Anyway, Mama’s got lots of music to practice for band, and most of her pieces are in the high and screechy range. I wonder if there are other mamas who leave their pups to go and do band? And if they, too, have a screechy flute-thing?

Must be horrible, all those flutes in one room screeching like a flock of angry birds.

Mama said you might be interested in hearing three of the songs they’ll be playing for their concert in December (since you can’t attend and all). There are a few others, but these are the hardest — the ones Mama practices the most.

I’ll let her do the linking while I look for a trash can to rummage through!

Amparito Roca by Jaime Texidor

Shenandoah by Frank Ticheli

English Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams

P.S. Mama says I should wish my predecessor, St. Dallas, a happy 15th birthday in heaven. I won’t dwell on that cos she gets all teary-eyed and stuff. Love, Monkey