No Art for Oliver

Oliver is my budding artist. Not to say that Tallulah isn't artistic, she is, she just isn't as focused on it as Oliver is. But sadly there will be no art for Oliver in middle school.

We went to the information meeting tonight at his new school. I had him pretty convinced that he could take private lessons on french horn through middle school and take art classes in actual school then when he could take two fine arts in intermediate or high school he could pick up band. And then they told him he'd have to take technology with art - which I thought would be pretty cool. But he wasn't too thrilled.

score 1 - Band

Then the band presentation happened and they said they would NOT get to choose their instruments, they would be placed.

score 1 - Art

But now he's looking at me with big blue eyes confused, not sure what path to take, and I couldn't pull the "Mom knows best". So I said we would go talk to the band director after the presentation and if Oliver playing french horn was a problem, we'd stick to the original plan, and if it wasn't then we'd do band.

So after the presentation we made our way over to the band director talked to him:

Me: Hi Mr. Band Director. I'm Oliver's Mom. This is Oliver. Oliver is having a little trouble deciding between Band & Art.

Mr. Band Director: Why?!?!? (because you know all band directors think band is THE BOMB!!)

Me: Well, when we talked about the different instruments we talked about the ones that I could tolerate, because you know some of them sound horrendous when you're first learning.

Mr. Band Director did an unintentional nod before he could help himself. (which you know he's really not supposed to do - he's supposed to love ALL the instruments in ALL phases of learning - even trumpets.)

Me: And he's chosen french horn, which is what I played, but I didn't tell him he had to play french horn.*

Mr. Band Director: REALLY?!?!?!?!? We need french horn players, we love french horn players (he now looks at Oliver for the first time), and I don't see a problem right off with him playing horn.......

Me: I already have a private teacher lined up for him, and I have a horn...

Mr. Band Director kind of shuddered a little.

Mr. Band Director: So what's the problem?!?!

Me: Well, he's not sure he wants to be in band if he can't play horn.

Mr. Band Director: I'm 95% sure that he can play french horn, I mean it's not totally up to me, so I don't want to say for 100%, but 95% sure.

Score
Band - 2
Art - 1


Band wins.

*I'd also like to take this opportunity to voice something that I haven't voiced anywhere else. I am absolutely freakin thrilled that MY boy has CHOSEN to play french horn. I really did not influence him in any way other than being completely fabulous.
But since he naturally wants to be like his fantastic mother, I am on top of the world. It makes me want to sing, and fly and all that happy go lucky stuff.
Just don't tell anybody, ok.