My daughter is a gentle soul that loves to care for animals and from what I’ve seen animals love her to care for them. Usually these animals are normal pet sized animals that you wouldn’t be surprised to see milling around someone’s house.

The other day I was startled to hear the mournful sounds of a terminally ill elk caught in the agonizing throws of death coming from the kid’s bedroom. This raised a few questions. How did she get an elk in her room? How big an elk is it? How sick is this elk? For the record, it sounded very big and very sick.

Does the elk have insurance? Is Sierra an approved provider under the elks plan? Does Sierra carry malpractice insurance? Does it cover an elk? Will the elk sign a waiver allowing taxidermy to occur if he doesn’t pull through? So many questions were running through my mind as I ascended the steps to the kid’s room.

As I got closer the sounds became more mournful and gut wrenching. Poor elk, once so majestic roaming the meadows and forests of the Black Hills, now bugling madly surrounded by stuffed animals and Barbie dolls.

I slowly open the door, just a crack, to where I can see the bed. Huh…no elk in the bed, must be on the floor, to sick to even make it into bed. I tentatively open the door the rest of the way and there it is.

Jackson’s in the corner, face contorted in pain, hands pressed tightly over his ears. Sierra poised in one of her little chairs, black case opened at her feet, and…and a trumpet pressed against her lips. No elk, just a trumpet in the hands of a first year band member.

“We learned ‘G’ today Dad, how does it sound?” How does it sound! “It sounds wonderful dear…keep practicing…keep practicing.”

Learning to play an instrument is hard, hard for both the learner and the listener. But when you finally start to get it, finally start to make what sounds like music; it is a wonderful thing, wonderful for both the learner and the listener.

Sierra is learning to play on the same trumpet I learned on and played throughout my band days. I think she chose trumpet because seeing as she isn’t a teenager yet she still likes to be like her father. She comes from a long illustrious line of Burke Central trumpeters, well maybe not long, illustrious could be argued also, but lets not quibble over details.

My aunt Susan played trumpet, then myself, then my sister, and I believe my brother Gabe may have dabbled in it for a week or so. My brother Jarvis played trombone, but I don’t think he has it anymore, traded it for a set of tires or something of that nature. My wife played clarinet, but thankfully…uh, I mean tragically it was sold.

So the musical lineage continues. I look forward to seeing my daughters face light up when all the practice pays off and she finally “gets it” and starts to make music. I really look forward to it.