Damage Control

In the past, AV Graham has had a very large intermediate population.  Up until two years ago we had, for many years, 5 classes of grade 7 students and 5 classes of grade 8 students.  That's over 300 hormonal pubescents - and I taught them all instrumental music.  Instruments are shared and I would have up to ten different kids playing the same alto, or bass guitar, or drums - the three most popular instruments.  Flutes, clarinets, trumpets, tenors, baritones, and trombones would have multiple players as well - it's never a problem with the tuba.  Needless to say, my job includes damage control and prevention.

In September of each year the students are required to pass a test on the care and safety of the instrument they play.  They are allowed to play only their assigned instrument, and must report any damage that they find as soon as they see it.  My motto:  "If your instrument doesn't look, sound, feel, smell or taste right, bring it to me right away."  This is the way I discover most unreported damage, both accidental and intentional.

One Monday morning at the beginning of 1st period a student brought me her trumpet.  The 2nd valve would not move.  The instrument had been damaged and would have to be sent out for repair - and I wasn't going to spend my repair budget on an instrument that was handled unsafely.  I went first to the 'Instrument Sign Out Book' and found out that a grade 8 boy had had it out for the weekend.  His class had also been the last one to play on Friday.  Bingo.  I sent for him. 

When he arrived I asked him, "Did you play your trumpet over the weekend."

"Yeah."

"Is there something you want to tell me about the trumpet?"

"No."

"But you did play it and it worked fine."

"Yup."

"Did you let anyone else play the trumpet?"

"No."

"The second valve is jammed and won't budge.  How do you explain that no one but you has played it, and it was fully playable when you did, but it's now broken?"

"I dunno."

"Really?  Then how did it get damaged?"

"I don't know.  It was working fine when I played it."

I stopped short of calling him a liar and later that day I called home.

"Hi, Mrs. ______?  This is Rick Farrer from AV Graham.  I teach your son music.  I'm not sure how to deal with this issue.... but it appears your child's trumpet was damaged over the weekend.  First period today it was brought immediately to me by the student who found it and it has definitely been mishandled and I have to send it away to be fixed.  Your son claims it was working fine for him and that he didn't let anyone else play it.  I am at a loss as to how this damage could have happened and he would know nothing about it."

"My son didn't damage the trumpet."

"Oh great," I thought, "here it comes..."

"I did," she continued.  "I was making his bed and the trumpet was on the floor behind his bed in the opened case.  I didn't see it and I accidentally stepped on it.  It looked fine so I just closed the case."

"Well, I guess he was telling the truth then," I confided.  "I'm glad I didn't call him a liar."

"When you get the bill for the repair send it to me," she said.

I thanked her and was just about to say goodbye when she added, "And he's going to pay for it.  I'm tired of tripping over the stuff he has all over the floor of his room!"

  

As I hung up I thought, "We need more moms like her."