Soon-to-be-Squeaky Sam

I asked about having Sam go in the 5th grade band next year and was turned down. Either he has to do strings in 4th grade, or wait until 5th grade for band. I've decided that if we can get a free violin from the school, he can do strings in 4th, but if we have to rent one, he'll have to wait until 5th, when he can play an instrument that he might stick with. They have a limited number of school violins and it's first come, first served. We got the forms yesterday and I took one in first thing this morning and they already had a pile of them. So, it depends on how many are for the violins and how many are for the band kids. We'll see.

The band teacher said that if he put Sam in the 5th grade band in 4th, what would he teach him in 5th? I'm thinking, just keep teaching him new music, but it doesn't work that way apparently. Too much trouble for the teacher. I'm really appreciating our private piano lessons--the kids can go as fast or as slow as they need to, and don't have to wait for an entire class to catch up. But, I suppose that's the price you pay for free lessons at school. And I really shouldn't complain, at least we have music in school at all.

I suppose it won't kill him to learn the violin for one school year and then switch to trumpet or whatever in 5th grade. I'm just not looking forward to having a novice violinist practicing in the house. Ugh. Better start researching noise-blocking headphones!