Enter the Double Bass
Sunday 08/24/2008 8:28 PM
One of the extra-curricular options for 4-12 grade UA students is strings orchestra. The link of the day takes you to the news page about the high school orchestra. When Alex brought home the registration info last spring, he was set on playing violin. But somewhere between May and August, he decided that bass might be better. Though I love the sound of the bass, I was hoping he'd choose violin: they're less expensive, easier to transport, etc. At the informational meeting last week, they gave us info on really reasonable rent-to-own plans for instruments, and mentioned that they needed bassists because violin was so popular. And then there was the demonstration of the instuments ... which was followed by Alex's realization that he would be able to play the creepy Jaws theme on the bass. When I asked the orchestra director about the size of the bass and the size of my car, I was thinking that not having an SUV would give me an out. But he said that he's transported them in a VW bug (with the front seat removed) and that it was most important to get the instrument that my kid was most excited about playing. And I knew he was right.
But I still asked Alex to get measured for both violin and bass sizes at school on Friday, in case we actually couldn't transport the bass in my car since he has to bring his instrument to school two days a week. He came home with measurements for bass only. Evidently his strings teacher told him he had the height and hands for it. So first thing Saturday morning, we were off to the strings store in search of a 1/4-sized double bass. As soon as the guy pulled it out of the case, I knew I was in love with it, too ... and then we heard it again, and hauled it out to the car to make sure it would fit (no need to remove the front seat, but we do have to lay it down to make enough room for it), and that was that.
So here's the proud rent-to-owner:
Sigh. In moments like these, this boy wins my heart all over again without even realizing it.
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