For this year’s KIP spring fundraiser, the school is having a big eighties-themed dinner and silent auction, and various KIP dads who play/have played in bands will be assembling into the KIP All-Dad Band to provide at least some of the night’s entertainment. The first meeting and mini-rehearsal was in our basement last night, and just as with band practices four and a half years ago, Simon complicates things.
It’s how he complicates them that has changed. In the winter and spring of 2007, I was packing up an infant and clearing out of the house for several hours because the noise would upset him, keep him from sleeping, and potentially hurt his ears. The issue this time around?
Simon would like to join the band, or at least practice with them. Mr. Butch (Gabrielle’s dad) graciously let Simon bang on his drums for a bit and even offered to leave behind drum sticks so Simon could play between practices. From about 6:30 last night, when we headed upstairs to let the guys talk and play, until 8:00, when Simon went to bed, I fielded the question “When can I play Mr. Butch’s drums again?” about a hundred times. Maybe more.
At about 7:30, having realized that he would not be replacing Mr. Butch on drums during practice, Simon developed another idea: He grabbed his ukelele and started to head downstairs. I couldn’t figure out a good way to incorporate a ukelele into REM’s oeuvre, so poor Simon had to play upstairs on the couch.
Butch offered that Gabrielle has her own drum set, guitar, and ukelele, so I’m wondering if for the next practice I shouldn’t arrange a concurrent KIP All-Kid Band practice. Not that they could play or anything, but I’m guessing much fun—and less frustration—would be had.