Carnation, I will say a prayer for you and your son. ;)

Throughout elementary, high school, and college, almost all of the dummers that I have met have been ummmmmm....not sure how to put this..... either just totally nuts, or stoners/troublemakers of some sort. In elementary and HS, they were the kids always getting in trouble, smoking pot (well, HS, not elementary), etc.

Also, hope you can deal with him banging on things all the time and playing air drums. :D

Never fear carnation. That's what practice pads are for!

dzsaigirl ;)

Trumpet is fun for park and blow sections. I was also in the UCI drumline and drumming is fun as well.

Trumpets and trombones are a dime a dozen though.

My little brother played the drums for 8 years. You have my sympathies.

I think the trumpet is sexier in the long run!!LOL
I love jazz players!
Trombone, I just think of a big, duffy 1920's parade!
LOL

Personal overtime imagination problem, don't mind me! :D

Heck, I'm no help. I'm lucky if I can help my 7 year old with her piano lessons!

I just wanted to give a shout out to my sisters Anne Marie and Marti - you ladies know your stuff! :D

from one band geek to another:

The low brass being cooler than the trumpets...?? I don't know about that...;) :p :)

I played flute for 3 years but my hardcore band geek (I use the word geek lovingly, cuz we are the coolest people I know) days came from when I became a drummer in 8th grade (percussionist for the sophisticated). Band ruled, marching band especially (drummer boys do have a tendency to get a little ego about them though so I'd watch out;) :D :D ) I loved my time in band sooooo much the friends I have from HS are my band friends, I even went back to alumni night at band camp last week and I was filled with alot of the same feelings I get from being greek. I also miss playing with a group, I used to love to play the xylophone....sigh.. anyway, I'm drifting off into nostalgia. Congrats to both your sons, I'm sure they do very well and will go far. I suggest buying some ear muffs though;)

It's so cool that you're being so supportive of your kids. Especially if they become "really good" (which I'm sure they will!) you will be doing a lot of work yourself, fundraising, hauling them to clinics, lessons, masterclasses, honor bands etc. But seriously they'll appreciate it. I played a total of 4 instruments during my 7 years of band (flute, tenor sax, piano, and french horn) and I feel like I'm a better person for it. My sister is a drummer, so you have my sympathies! Maybe you'll luck out and he'll like the xylophone or marimba so he can only practice at school. ;)

Why a brass instrument!?

It's not too late! The kid can play the violin!

-- Actually, you want an instrument that can pay the way through college? Harp! Harpists are a rareity and can probably earn the kid a full ride without even having to be a music major (if they agree to play in orchestra).

My violin put me through school. They handed out strings scholarships to many folks. Band scholarships were harder to get as more folks applied -- plus there's marching season.

My soon to be 7th grade sister plays the bassoon. It's about as tall as she is, the double reeds break super easy and it sounds like a duck call. But she loves it! Oddly enough the other bassoon players in the band have the same personalities as my sis and are all in the gifted program together. Go smart musicians!

Yay for bassoonists! I played for eight years and I still miss it every once in a while. It's not a common instrument. Most people are easily intimidated by the bassoon, so I think it attracts the "smarties." There are just so many keys and everything about it so expensive.

In high school I also played percussion in marching band because you can't march a bassoon very well and my director would not allow you to only perform during concert season.

Drums or Percussion?

Drums, well, my brother played for years and year, I learned to tune it out while practicing piano.

If he's doing percussion - good for him! Percussionists are hard to come by. (Make him learn timpani!!!)

Haha, get ready for him to be "picking"(tapping, drumming) on every little thing....tables....cars...himself. I personally LOVED the drumline in High school marching band(although, I played clarinet). For one, all the hot guys were drummers, and two, I just loved all the cadences and things. They got me pumped up for games. I still love them.

amen on "percussionists are hard to come by" I was more of a percussionist than a drummer, I was first chair my senior year, not really because I had the best hands, but because I could read treble and bass clef!!!

I was a big mallet (xylo, marimba) player, also one of the few timpani players. Those drummer kids always end up hanging with the DCI crowd.