So, my daughter Kaye had practice today with her band . . . a group of kid she’s been friends with since she was kneehigh to a grasshopper’s younger brother . . . they’ve talked about starting a band for a while but today they had their first real practice . . . of a song that they will be performing at Cheng-ta in November for a school event (Kaye no longer goes to Cheng-ta as she’s at Tamkang High School in the Music program where she double majors in piano and composition but most of the kids in the band are still there).

For some odd reason, they decided that Kaye would play drums . . . is she trained or schooled in drums?  No.  They just thought that since they have too many keyboards and since she’s in a music program she could “pick it up” . . . yeah, right.

Well, yeah, right.

Today was the first time she saw the sheet music for the song and the first time she sat down at a “real drum set” and she nailed it.  Her friends called her “li hai” (very powerful) as she figured out how to play drums in one sitting.  In fairness, we do have Guitar Hero World Tour on the X-Box so she’s played the fake set on that and she is a bit of an aficianado of musical instruments . . . but still, one sitting and she now knows how to read drum sheet music and can play the damned piece.

Now . . . here’s the rub . . . I started in on drums when I was in junior high and I was in band and I had my own damned sticks and I actually practiced . . . and in one sitting, Kaye is better than I ever was.  Sure, I was never really all that good and now I suck well beyond the awfulness of suck but still, a father has to feel proud of his daughter but he can still have those icy cold feelings of jealous envy stabbing through his heart on the matter.

But . . . mostly, just proud of the girl . . . and with good reason.

Here’s a youtube video of the song the kids will be playing with an emphasis on the drum part . . .

Back in high school, I never could have played that . . . so you know I wasn’t really all that good . . . but still . . . this is what she’s ready to play after one sitting.

Obviously, I am looking forward to November when they play the thing in front of a live audience.

All the best,
Brian