By David Rogers. November 10, 2011. BLOWING ROCK -- I was only seven years old, but I still remember the day in 1958 when my parents brought home a seemingly beat-up, ancient upright piano they had purchased for $50 out of the classified ads in the Bakersfield Californian newspaper. Somehow they had gotten the idea I wanted to learn how to play the piano, so they had only themselves to blame...

As I sat in on Thursday night's "Fall Band and Strings Concert" at Blowing Rock School, I reflected back on those years in the late 1950s, when my pounding out the music scale eventually evolved into a reasonably good rendition of "American Patrol", and then "Blues in the Night."  There was one certainty, however: I was no child prodigy when it came to playing the piano.  Liberace had no fear of my taking over his show business spot. In fact, as I reflected back, I marvelled at the patience of my parents as I tapped out repitition after repitition of an exercise or tried to get a song "perfect."  Except for Dad's occasional, "@E$W#$&*(%#!, would you play something else!," coming from the front room, they rarely complained.  I wasn't out getting into mischief, after all.  I was only playing the piano.

So I could easily see the sense of pride in the faces of parents, grandparents and other friends Thursday night in Blowing Rock School Auditorium, as band and strings teacher Mr. Brandon Hall put his charges through their paces, from 5th grade to 8th grade.  My parents must have felt the same way when I was in 4th grade and I performed in my first concert, with a flutophone -- that plastic toy-like instrument that vaguely reminds you of a clarinet.  Yep, that is the "horn" with which my folks locked me in the bathroom for an hour while I practiced....

I didn't get to stay for the entire concert Thursday night.  Other duties and deadlines had prior claim to my attention.    But I nonetheless marvelled at the fierce determination that these students brought to their craft.  At one point, Mr. Hall warned the audience that the 6th Grade Band offerings might sound like alarmingly like a frightened gaggle of geese. He was right, but in the cacophony one could pick out the familiar melody of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", and the theme from the movie "Jaws."

After only a couple of months under the belts for practice, the kids sounded great.  To the parents, grandparents and friends who knew that they could be out getting into mischief or playing on a PlayStation, Thursday night's concert was a virtuoso performance, to be sure.  The music was golden, so ear muffs were optional.

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