"All Your Base"

Kenna has taken a renewed interest in music lately. She joined the school choir and the ward choir. She has a beautiful voice and is a good learner, so she has done well. But, what she really enjoys is the school orchestra. She got an interest in orchestra after a school field trip to Abravanel Hall to see the Utah Symphony. The instrument that caught her attention was the bass--also called the string bass, upright bass, or double bass.

When she asked us at the beginning of the school year if she could take orchestra, I of course thought it would be a great idea. But, I was picturing her playing the flute, piccolo, or maybe the violin. I had no idea she would choose the bass, perhaps the largest instrument around, not counting a piano. I knew a bass was large, but when we went to look at some I was shocked to see that they are about as tall as I am...and thick.

I tried to persuade Kenna to downgrade her choice a bit. "How about the cello?" I asked. "It's basically the same instrument, but not so big." She wouldn't budge. She liked the bass and that was that.

We found out you can get what is called a "quarter size" bass. It's the same instrument but more her size. We ordered one from a local music seller and waited anxiously for it to come. When it arrived, I decided to surprise Kenna a bit so I told her it wouldn't come until the next week. Rita and I secretly went to pick up the instrument. We brought it back home and you should have seen the look on Kenna's face when we brought it inside! She was so surprised and so happy.

We're happy for Kenna's decision to play the bass because it is a gorgeous instrument, both visually and musically. It's not easy to play, but she works hard and has a good instructor. We hope she sticks with the hobby for a long time.