A date with Sarah-Kate;

Her girl gets musical and Kate gets surround sound!

Kate’s home truths

My daughter has taken up the clarinet. It used to be the violin, but with her new school has come a new instrument.

Music is compulsory at the school she attends, so we were given a list of instruments and she got to write down her first, second and third choices before she began. She’d find out on the first day of school which instrument she had been assigned.

She got clarinet – her third choice. “Look on the bright side,” I mused optimistically as we drove to the music store. “It’s something new! It will be an interesting challenge.”

We got to the store and she was immediately swept up in all the incredible instruments surrounding her – flutes, bass trombones, guitar and drum kits. It was all very exciting. “We are here for a clarinet,” I told the salesman.

“Excellent – which one?” he asked.

“There’s more than one type?” I replied, feeling very sheepish and musically inept. “Well, there are two sizes.” So we had a look at the sizes and my daughter chose one. “It looks funny,” she remarked.

“It’s actually really cool,” the salesman enthused as he began showing her how to clean it, where the reeds go and how it breaks up into pieces for the case.

She gave it a go and as she mustered up all the might in her little body to blow it, a small sound came out resembling music, but I can’t be sure. “It’ll take time,” I told her. At home, she unpacked the clarinet and began practising.

“Turn that off!” someone yelled from a nearby bedroom. “Noooo!” another moaned. “She’s learning and she has to practise!” I shouted back.

She persevered for a while before deciding she needed to wait for a proper professional – in other words, the music teacher, not Mum – to assist.

As we packed up, the sound of drumming came wafting through the open window.

“What’s going on?” one of my sons yelled out, preferring to hear Eminem nice and loud than children practising their instruments.

“That’s not us,” I replied as I looked outside and realised the noise was coming from our neighbours’ son’s bedroom. They had bought a drum kit. Not only that, but those on the other side of us had got drums for Christmas. How do I know? Trust me, when your neighbours get drums, you know.

“Well, what are the odds?” I said to my daughter. “Two neighbours either side, both with drum kits! And now you with a clarinet. We’re like a neighbourhood band!” I cheered.

My daughter scowled. “We are not a band.” She rolled her eyes at me. “I am a beginner clarinet player who’s learning and they’re just ... annoying,” she announced, flouncing out of the room.

I’m hoping the mood and attitude improves soon. I’m also hoping the weather cools down so I can close the windows.