pass me my Stratavarious....

My fifth grade teacher was a musical genius. Well, I was 10 years old when I first thought that. Her name was Miss Felton and she could play the hell out of the piano, flute, cello, violin, bongo's and who knows what else!
At every opportunity, our class would turn into an amazing orchestra, with even the most tone deaf happily clutching a triangle or a pair of public school issue castanets. It must have been something to behold, but we all thought we were awesome!
I attended Westmead Demonstration School, which meant that student teachers were plentiful and classes like ours were given somewhat "different" opportunities. Well, I was like a pig in mud...or should I say a virtuoso in a music store, perhaps?
Being such a music lover, I was quick to volunteer to learn the violin (much to my Mother's horror and the neighbours in our small block of flats!) In fact, just about every child in our 40+ class of eager devotees chose an instrument to learn.
Miss Felton, suede boots, wrap around ethnic looking skirts and rows of beads arranged neatly over her turtleneck jumper, wasted no time in teaching us all to read music, which was no mean feat, I can assure you!
I loved the violin, but also played cello, guitar and every percussion instrument I could get my hands on.
We spent one glorious year playing 'God Save the Queen" every morning at assembly. We also got to play at school fete's, parent nights and many other events. Now this had some interesting repercussions as  it were...not all good, either!
It was great to be part of such a fantastic group of talented kids, it also and more importantly got me out of having to drink the disgustingly warm bottle of government issue milk. I don't know how many times I tried to explain that I was allergic to cows milk, but no one listened...sorry, I digress...that is another story altogether!
The downside was that standing to attention for God knows how long on the cement, in the sun, usually meant several of us (yes, me included) would hit the deck - literally...I regularly fainted while waiting patiently to play the national anthem and would wake up to see the ground moving below me as I was being carried up to the sick bay...
However, the most important part of my story is the day Miss Felton announced that we would be playing at the SYDNEY TOWN HALL!!! I was just so excited, as I was going to be first violinist! All our parents would be allowed to come and we would be playing a piece called 'Hoe Down'. It was a great piece for strings, as it began with 4 bars of violin on our own, then the rest of the string section and included pizzicato.
We practiced every day and I reckon we sounded pretty good! We even made the local paper!
Of course, everything has to have a downside, doesn't it? Well, we needed to dress up for the performance and all the girls were expected to wear a white dress, the boys in black pants, white shirt and black tie.
The only problem for me was the fact that we were lacking funds, so a new dress was out of the question! After many tears and the odd tantrum, my grandmother decided she would cut down my sister's tennis dress. I was mortified! Everyone else got to wear a nice new dress,  but not me....The pleated skirt was detached, a very altered bodice was refitted and grandma lovingly sewed on Gapure lace that was leftover from my sister's wedding dress. I was sure I would be a laughing stock.
The big night arrived and there I was, right at the front of the orchestra, Mum, Grandma and my sister, Jenny beaming at me from the audience...I was so incredibly nervous and so sure everybody was looking at me and saying, "oh, look at that girl, wearing her sister's old tennis frock", that as Miss Felton was counting us in, I somehow managed to start half a beat before I was supposed to, and before everyone else!
Now as I was first violinist, all the strings were supposed to follow me....I think it was a complete disaster, with Miss Felton desperately tapping on the podium and waving her baton wildly in the air, but as far as Mum, Grandma and Jenny were concerned, I was fantastic! The smiles on their faces made me realise just how proud they were of me and it really didn't matter what I was wearing, or how out of time I was,they loved me all the same....
Of course, the same couldn't be said for Miss Felton.....