Just for the record....

...Amber plays a bassoon!

That's Amber on the left.

Over the years we've heard interesting comments regarding her choice of instrument. Most of them normal comments like "I've never heard a bassoon before" or "What is a bassoon?" or "Wow! That's an unusual instrument". One that makes us laugh is "Is that a really BIG oboe?"

Here's an oboe:

The oboe is a soprano-range, double-reed woodwind instrument. Think of the size of a clarinet. Amber did learn how to play the oboe in high school and played it in concerts at times.

Here's a bassoon:

It has a bass range and its normal range is about 3 octaves. It also is a double-reed instrument. And measures 4 ft. tall.

A few weeks ago (at one of Amber's concerts) someone said to us "Amber plays her bazooka really well". Trying not to laugh in this person's face, we just smiled and politely corrected her. It didn't work! She just kept calling it a bazooka.

Hmmm, bazooka:


Bassoon:

BIG DIFFERENCE!!!!
Once we were out of sight we all busted up laughing and now tease Amber about her bazooka playing.

That was until we were recently at the Middle School band concert where they now have a 6th grader that is playing the bassoon. I swear Amber was going to have a heart-attack the way this student was holding and playing her instrument. We think she actually thought it WAS a bazooka!! She was seriously holding the instrument like this!!

But without the strap! She almost nailed the band director, hit doors and other students completely unaware.

And Amber was ready to do this:

And will be going into the Middle School on Thursday to teach the newbie bassoon player how to hold, carry and play the expensive instrument properly.