I was talking about the music/music instruction in my k-12 schooling with someone else.

Childhood callousness / shenanigans aside, this reminded me of my elementary school music teacher, Ms. Phyllis Bonaduce. She came across as a severe woman, but I think that might just be my childish perception of her. I played flute from grades 4-12.

That first year (4th grade), I was the only flautist. At first, I couldn’t blow properly (I had a bad eMbOuChAre). For 2-3 weeks, my lessons were spent just blowing. At home, I’d practice the same. Towards the end of that time, I managed to blow a little whilst practicing in the mirror at home. At my next lesson (A day or 2 later) I excitedly showed her.

I remember feeling so distraught that time. All of the other wind musicians that year had figured out how to blow within a day (we were young, just about everyone was a first time musician). I felt like I didn’t measure up. Ms. Bonaduce told me it would be a little harder as a flautist, because I was blowing across the mouthpiece instead of into. That didn’t matter much to me.

She kept with me for 2 weeks, on blowing. Bruh. I played flute for 8 years after that across various school groups. The flute meant a lot to me because it was part of my self expression/individuality. Thank you Ms. Bonaduce for putting up with me (the year before, when I played violin, I forgot my instrument like 20 times).