Ken Graham: From the Publisher

My mother passed away a year ago this week. I'm not a particularly sentimental person, but I have been thinking about her a lot recently. And I was reminded of her when I read a letter to the editor we received this week.

It was my mother's fault that I took up the trombone way back in junior high school, and played it in the band (and stage band and orchestra) all through high school.

Last week in this space I wrote a column - intended to be humorous - in which I recalled some of my experiences in school. I mentioned that playing the trombone in the band is one of the things I'm glad I don't have to do anymore. And I implied that being a band member was inferior to being an athlete, and that it made me feel like a nerd.

In a letter on this page, Roger Garcia, of Waitsburg, expresses his offense at my attempt at a joke and emphasizes the value of music education. I certainly regret any offense I caused.

My mother had a passion for music. She was an accomplished violinist, violist and pianist. She played all of those instruments while growing up, and she graduated from Whitman College in the 1950s with a music major. She continued to enjoy music throughout her life, playing in string quartets, and playing piano and singing in the choir at church. Until shortly before she died, she was pianist and choir director for the Congregational Church in Dayton.

My mother made sure all four of her children started piano lessons at an early age, and we all played other instruments growing up as well.

During those years, however, my passion was sports. I loved watching baseball and football on TV. I tried to play both sports, but I was mediocre at best. I attended a very large high school, and making the varsity team in any sport wasn't in the cards for me.

I was good at music though. There were several trombone players in our high school band, and most of the time I was first chair.

That I was better at music than sports did, in fact, make me feel inferior at that time. I wanted to be a jock.

That was my own hang-up of course, but it was also something of a stereotype. And that was where I was going with my attempted joke last week.

I have always been proud of my mother and her musical abilities, and I regret that I didn't keep up my own music more (though I do occasionally plunk at my guitar).

I completely agree with Mr. Garcia about the value of music education. At this stage of the game I know I am very fortunate for having grown up in a musical family and having had a strong music education. I have no doubt that that background had a positive influence on me as I went on to successfully complete college.

I am sincerely sorry for any offense my band joke last week caused. To all you kids playing music in school now, I say keep it up. You won't regret it. I don't.