Vile dins

I left this story as a comment on a blog. Two people said they liked it, which I thought justified me sneaking it in as an entry on my own blog.

I was once listening to The Archers. David and Ruth were having an argument and in the background there was the tortured scraping of a child playing the violin. "That is so unrealistic", I thought. "The BBC sound effects department were obviously having a laugh that day. It never sounds THAT bad." Then the signature tune (da da-da da-da da-daa) came and went. But strangely the violin scraping continued. It was my own son in the next room.

This is a true story. It has a happy ending. He persevered with the violin, and now plays with attack and confidence. The scraping days are over, and I hope he is on the way to enjoying a musical instrument for many years to come, and maybe for life.

I could listen to The Archers here, by internet, but I don't. It wouldn't be the same somehow. The storylines weren't grabbing me at the time we left Scotland in any case, and it seemed a good time to sign off. I wondered if there was a US equivalent, which I could listen to on the radio as I potter about the kitchen (does anyone listen to The Archers anywhere except the kitchen?) I think it would be a good step towards integration to get dug into an Archers' equivalent. I've heard about a radio show called The Prairie Home Companion, which sounds like it might be worth tuning into. I'll let you know how I get on. And how realistic the children sound effects are. It'll never have such a good signature tune, though. That's for sure. Those familiar jaunty violins...