Except We Don't Play Instruments

This morning I was in Bart's car -- long story -- I"ll shorten it - he's sick, Wilson had 7:30 ortho appointment, Rand took other kids to school in van... thus, me in Bart's car at 7:45 a.m. I chose one of his radio presets that the children had set and was listen to jibber jabber by local DJs. And I heard them say this:

We're on visit three of a 13 small town tour to tell kids about music and how important it is for them to be involved in the music programs at their schools. We really want to promote band.

Then one DJ says to the other, and I paraphrase, "But the only instrument I play is the radio and you're kind of in the same boat."

This immediately reminded me of the reason that I started to speak and write for adoptive parents. The first time I went to NACAC back in wow... must have been 2001 or 2002, I was so impressed with the conference and the really famous people who spoke at them. But at least 3/4 of the sessions were by people who didn't "play an instrument!" They were specialists in their field but they didn't have any adopted children and I couldn't help but find that disconcerting.

Back then I thought they paid people to do seminars at the conference when in actuality all the people who are presenting are people who can afford to pay their own expenses to get their (conference registration is free). So this explains why there aren't as many parents who present. And I believe that there are more and more of us who are parents as well as professionals who have been selected to speak.

I never set out to do all this to make money (and it's a good thing I didn't, because it's not the money maker that people think it is). I did it because I wanted to encourage people to join band or to hang in there and not quit band while I was continuing to play my instruments -- practicing and working hard to be the best I could be.

And of course I can't help but point out that this next book is the one that I think will be the book that most does this. It is so practical and the clear demonstration of how both Matt and Krista and Bart and I have applied them in very different families I believe will be an incredible help to those of us who are playing are hearts out and still not finding much improvement in how the band sounds.

So... preorder it today using the coupon preorder and save some money. It's really not about me getting lots of money... it's about you as a parent -- foster, adoptive, or just one of those "normal" birth parents -- getting some encouragement and help along the way, as well as a chuckle or two.

I hate self promotion -- it wears me out -- but hopefully this simple reminder will get me to encourage others to purchase the book.

Because I've learned a bit from practicing the instrument that I happen to play, and I really want to share what I've learned.