I picked the trombone up in fifth grade with much hesitation. Having no idea what I had just gotten myself into. What was this brass tubing in front of me they called an instrument? I was in way over my head. Others dropped on the daily, saying “it’s too hard” or “it’s not fun.” I wanted to also. I did not know what I was doing, clueless as to what the shiny slide did and how to make a noise resonate from the bell. My brain told me to get out while it was still easy, but my gut, and my mom, told me to stick it out because it can only get better from here.