Trumpet Brothers

Can you believe it's already this far into July???  Time flies when you're having fun!

I am sitting here watching a squirrel sitting on a perfect part of a tree in my backyard, with my brother's cat "stalking" it.  The squirrel is eating something and has paused to do that "You looking at me?" pose that squirrels do best!  Guess where my camera is?   IN MY VAN!!! Did I bother to go get it? No.  If I had, the moment would have been gone by the time I got back.  Instead I sat here and enjoyed the view.  The cat just chased the squirrel into the neighbor's backyard and they are having a little stare down.

This has been my whole day.  I spent my lunch break listening to two older gentlemen playing their trumpets.  Lost in their own worlds.  One with a music stand that held not sheet music, but a photo frame.  I couldn't help but wonder what was in that frame.  I sat in my van and watched their expressions and behaviors.  The older man would play a scale, put his trumpet in his lap, lean forward and seemed to think for a while before he started all over again.  I found myself imagining what he was contemplating. Was he thinking of the days when he played in a band?  Or was he thinking of a lost love?

After about 10 minutes I decided to get out of the van and walk over to where they were.  I sat at some nearby benches and caught the eye of the older gentleman.  I nodded "hello" and he nodded back.  We smiled at each other and both went back to our own worlds.  But it was killing me.  I had to go talk to them.  I wanted so much to learn more about them and listen to their music. 
Somehow I finally got the older man to speak to me.  He knew very little English.  He moved fairly slowly and seemed to be full of heart and soul.  He had something in his eye that told me something weighed heavy on his mind, but I didn't dare to ask.

Instead, he told me in broken English that he used to play professionally in New York and back in his country many many years ago.  He pointed to the other man and said that was his brother and that he played the saxophone.  I mentioned to him that I used to play the flute and the piano and he called his brother over to tell him.  The brother seemed pleased with this piece of information and sat and talked with us about nothing.  After a few minutes he got up and went back to his trumpet.

The older man and I continued to talk and as we did he would stop every few minutes to empty his trumpet.  He would then fumble with the keys a few times.  Then he would play the scale again.  Up, up, up and down, down, down as LOW as he could go.  Ending with very little breath.
His face showed the realization that he just can't play like he used to. 
I began to wonder if this is all he could remember.  I attempted to ask him if he played sheet music, but he responded pointing to his ears and making a playing motion in the air.  I believe he was saying that he played by hearing.

The whole time I was talking to them I was thinking in my head what a wonderful opportunity it would be to photograph them with their instruments.  I even brought up the fact that I am a photographer.  I had every image I wanted lined up in my head and knew it would only take a couple minutes of their time.

BUT, I felt like that would be too much of an intrusion on these two older gentlemen.  I held a respect for them and didn't want to make them uncomfortable in any way.  I never looked at the frame on his music stand.  That will forever be a mystery.

I ended up sitting with them and just listening to them play for another 10 minutes.  One man playing a beautiful tune and the other, older, man playing the scale.

Up, up, up and down, down, down.