The cold square tiles of the band room floor stared back at me blankly, their lack of a logical pattern oddly disturbing. Puddles of spit from the trombones were drying leaving a white border of DNA infused grossness. Down the hall a student played the opening to Fur Elise incessantly on an unweighted keyboard. The conversation with my assistant band instructor seemed awkward and not headed down the path I had expected. Really? Put down my trumpet for two weeks and call you?

18-year-old students shouldn’t feel required to make up their minds about what they want to do when they ‘grow up’. According to a 2015 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, young Baby Boomers changed jobs about 12 times between the ages of 18-48. Throw in multiple career changes and the idea of a young kid deciding what to do with their life borders on the ridiculous. “You have all of the talent to make it as a professional trumpet player,” he said. “But I’m not sure you have the desire to get there.”

Two weeks later I called him…
“Okay, it’s been two weeks, now what?”, I said.
“When was the first day you picked up your trumpet?” he said.
“You told me to wait two weeks and call you.”
“Go into communications.” was his reply.