Fifteen Minutes a Day
The first sound Marcus made with his new trumpet was not music. It was a long, wobbly honk, like a goose with a cold. His dog, Biscuit, hid under the kitchen table.
"Everyone sounds like that at first," said Mr. Patel, the band teacher. "Your lips are still learning what to do. Practice a little every day, and you'll hear a difference."
Marcus wanted to sound good right away. His older cousin could play whole songs, and the trumpet looked so easy when she held it. For the first week, Marcus practiced only when he felt like it. The honks did not go away.
So he made a plan. Every afternoon after his homework, he set a timer for fifteen minutes and played long, steady notes. He played on cloudy days and sunny days, even on the day his friends were building a snow fort. Little by little, Biscuit stopped hiding. Then one evening, Marcus played a scale from bottom to top without a single honk. His mother clapped from the kitchen.
At the winter concert, Marcus sat in the back row of the band. His part was only a few notes, but he played every one clearly. When the audience applauded, he looked out and saw his cousin grinning and giving him a thumbs-up.
Afterward, Mr. Patel shook his hand. "Did you hear the difference?" he asked.
Marcus nodded. "Even Biscuit did," he said.