nPostednon May 18, 2016
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nWhenna con man convinces parents that the new pool table in the town’snbilliard parlor means Trouble (which starts with “T” – whichnrhymes with “P” – which stands for “Pool”!), what is hisnsolution?
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nHenoffers to start a boy’s marching band. He asks the parents to buynsome musical instruments, and he promises to train the youths tonplay.
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Ofncourse, being a con man, he’s not planning to actually produce thenmusical instruments or teach the boys anything; if you’ve ever seennthe movie or show ThenMusic Man, you know thatnHarold Hill plans to take all the money and skip town. Of course,nthat’s not exactly how it goes down…
Ofncourse, being a con man, he’s not planning to actually produce thenmusical instruments or teach the boys anything; if you’ve ever seennthe movie or show ThenMusic Man, you know thatnHarold Hill plans to take all the money and skip town. Of course,nthat’s not exactly how it goes down…n
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nThencreator of The Music Man,nMeredith Willson, was born on this date in 1902. And in tribute tonhis story of how a con man accidentally infects an entire town with anlove of music, his birthday has been proclaimed Buy a MusicalnInstrument Day!
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nWhichnis, in my opinion, pretty apt yet funny!
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nButnas I checked multiple sources, I saw that many, many “holiday”nand special-day listings claim that May 22 is Buy a MusicalnInstrument Day – no explanation given why that day, of all days.
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nInthink I prefer the Willson-Music Man connection!
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nAnbit about Willson…
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nThenMusic Man was set in anfictional town in Iowa. Well, Willson was born in a real town innIowa. He learned to play piccolo and flute in high school, and henattended Frank Damrosch’s Institute of Musical Art – which laternbecame the Julliard School. He was a member of John Philip Sousa’snband, the New York City Philharmonic Orchestra, and other musicalngroups, before moving to California and becoming known as a composernand songwriter.
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nInnaddition to The MusicnMan, Willson wrote threenother musicals and popular songs, film scores, even symphonies! Onenof the songs he wrote is “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot LikenChristmas.”
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nAnbit about musical instruments…
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nMusicalninstruments can be pricey. You might think about renting anninstrument to make sure it really suits you, and then buying. A quicknGoogle search can reveal overstock, closeout, wholesale, and discountnsites for musical instruments, but I appreciate a local store innwhich you can hold, try out, and listen to musical instruments.
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Mynfavorite musical instrument store ever is the Folk Music Center innClaremont, California. It is part store, part repair shop, partnmuseum, part music school, part performing art center. There are lotsnof cool instruments from around the world, and there are “tours”nfor kids in which we travel in our imagination from Australia,nlistening to the eerie sounds of the didgeridoo; to China, listeningnto the pleasing plinks of hammered dulcimer; to Scotland, listeningnto the haunting wail of bagpipes; to Mexico, listening to thenpercussive intricacies of turtle shells, drums, and Huecerosnde Fraile anklets. n
Mynfavorite musical instrument store ever is the Folk Music Center innClaremont, California. It is part store, part repair shop, partnmuseum, part music school, part performing art center. There are lotsnof cool instruments from around the world, and there are “tours”nfor kids in which we travel in our imagination from Australia,nlistening to the eerie sounds of the didgeridoo; to China, listeningnto the pleasing plinks of hammered dulcimer; to Scotland, listeningnto the haunting wail of bagpipes; to Mexico, listening to thenpercussive intricacies of turtle shells, drums, and Huecerosnde Fraile anklets. nn
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| My kids were lucky enough to take a “tour” with store co-founder Charles Chase. |
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nMaybenyou have a local treasure of a music store, too? Ask around!
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nAlsonon this date:
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TurnnBeauty Inside Out Day
TurnnBeauty Inside Out Dayn
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nMothernWhistler Day
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nFlagnand Universities Day in Haiti
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nInternationalnMuseum Day
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nPhilosophernBertrand Russell’s birthday
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nPlannahead:
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Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nMayn holidays
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nMayn birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in May
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nJunen holidays
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nJunen birthdays
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n Historicaln anniversaries in June
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