What are those strange sounds coming from the east side of Linton?

My niece is learning to play a musical instrument.

Watching the high school band, she wants to continue the family tradition. My niece opted for the trombone. Naturally, she would want a brass instrument that can bellow throughout the house as she practices.

When I was in the high school band we had fun. We named all our instruments. Carla played Terry the trombone, Karen played Francis the flute and Cathy played Clare the clarinet while Diane played Tom the drum. I played Sally, the saxophone.

We practiced to near-perfect our music and marched at football games, contests and naturally the Linton Fourth of July parade. The music and the formations were important, but the marching band was no better than the combined performance of its members. My sister cannot remember where she stood in formation or, for that matter, if they made a formation at all. Maybe being in the high school band in the ’70s was fun because we made it so. We still laugh at the time Myrna marched with her French horn toward the wrong guidepost.

Any weekday afternoon it is there. The unfamiliar sound that might grate on your nerves, coming from a girl and her trombone. It is the next generation of the Linton Stockton High School Band.

Nancee Harrison is a past columnist for the Greene County Daily World. Visit www.blondeladywithdarkroots.com or email her at blondelasywithdarkroots@gmail.com or send comments to Nancee, Daily World, box 129 Linton IN 47441.