Mama said I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.

Granny said whistling girls and crowing hens never come to no good end.

But, still, that didn’t stop me from wanting to blow a horn.

I whined around so much that Daddy made a deal for second-hand baritone horn that was just about my same size. It was in a big, heavy case that bumped my bird leg every time I took a step and I had to carry it home and take it back. My leg hurt.

So, I had to decide, Daddy said, whether I wanted that big, heavy horn or my leg.

I decided to just be a whistling girl.

Until … one day, Daddy read in the newspaper that somebody had a trumpet for sale.

If I behaved myself every day and until I went to bed, he would buy the trumpet for me.

I promised. Daddy brought home my trumpet. It was the best present I had ever gotten.

My trumpet was silver, not shiny, just silver and it had a case that didn’t hurt my leg. I had never been so happy.

I took band lessons from Mr. Jacobs. My best friend, Betty Kay, had a trumpet and she had already blown it. I practiced hard so Mr. Jacobs would notice me. But Betty Kay got to play all the parts that made a tune.

I just made honking noises. That made me mad.

Then, one lucky day, Betty Kay was not at band practice and I got to play the part that made a tune. I played good; Mr. Jacobs was surprised and said so.

He said that I played so good that he was going to let me play the tune part at the assembly program on Friday. Betty Kay would play the honking part.

Friday finally came. But Betty Kay didn’t come to school. Mr. Jacobs said we wouldn’t be able to play our duet.

Betty Kay stayed home because she didn’t want to honk while I played the tune. I got tired of honking so I got out of the band.

Many years later, I was at an outdoor Community Band Concert on the campus of Troy State that Mr. Johnny Long directed. At the end, awards were given out for a lot of different things. I couldn’t believe it when my name was called. I thought I was hearing things, but, no, I got a piece of paper that said I was an honorary member of the South Alabama Community Band.

Dr. Long had remembered the little girl that wanted to be in the band. So, he put me in the best band of them all.