had completed their test seemed unhappy; on the contrary, they left the room smiling, receiving a pat on the head from the instructor, and their parents followed carrying guitar cases and amplification boxes.
Within ten minutes, the woman behind the desk called out: “Will Mr. and Mrs. Bonanno come in, please, with Joseph.” Charles waited outside with Felippa and Tory, as Joseph and his parents entered one of the small rooms, where they were greeted effusively by a short man of about forty-five who had a southern accent and wore his reddish hair in a crew cut on top but long and slicked back on the sides. The man shook hands with Bill and Rosalie, waved them into the chairs next to his desk, and then, turning to Joseph, said, “Young man, its been a pleasure having you here these past weeks, and I’d like mother and dad to know that you’re one of our best students, and we think you have what its takes to go on with your music. Music is a rare and good quality to develop among young folks like yourself, and if we had more music among our youths today there would not be so much rioting, not be so much anger, there would be more respect for one another in the streets and campuses. It is through music that many young men have gone on to bigger and better things, to television and to movies, and they all began, Joseph, as you have, by taking lessons. Elvis Presley had to take lessons at one time just as you did this month, and now, Joseph, I’m going to give you a little oral test to see how well you can reply to the basic questions.”
Joseph stood in front of the man’s desk, his hands at his side, not looking at his parents as the man asked, “Now, Joseph, which finger picks the first string?”
“The second finger or middle finger,” Joseph replied.
“Good,” the man said, and continued, “which finger picks the second string?”
“First finger or index finger.”
“Fine, and which do you use on the three, four, five, and sixth strings?”
“The thumb,” Joseph said.
“Good, and what is the rule for tuning your guitar?”
“Playing the taps.”
“Good, and how do we stop the rattle of the strings?”
“By putting the fingers down on the strings behind the bar.”
“Bright boy,” the man said, turning to the Bonannos and shaking his head in a look of mild amazement. “And when the thumb is pushed across the strings, it’s called what?”
“A strum,” Joseph said.
“Yes, and where is the proper place to pick or strum the guitar?”
“Around the sound hole.”
“Yes, ” the man said quickly, his blue eyes flashing, “and what do we call this sign?”
“A treble cleffsign.”
“Yes, Joseph, very good, Joseph,” the man said, turning to the Bonannos for confirmation. Rosalie seemed to be blushing with pleasure, while Bill sat watching his eight-year-old son standing in front of the instructor’s desk, appearing to be enjoying this moment. There had been no wheezing or coughing from Joseph, and this pleased Bill most of all.
The instructor asked Joseph to be seated next to Rosalie while Charles was brought in. Charles tried without success to keep Tory from entering, too, and after an exchange of pushing and shoving at the door, the instructor invited both Tory and Felippa to come in and be seated, asking only that they sit quietly. Then the instructor smiled at Charles and delivered the same introductory speech that Joseph had heard, and soon Charles was being asked the same questions. While Charles’s replies were not as precisely accurate as Joseph’s had been, the instructor seemed no less ecstatic, and at the conclusion of the questioning he turned to Bill and Rosalie and said, “In all sincerity, Mr. and Mrs. Bonanno, I think your boys here are truly gifted, truly gifted. Does either of you have a musical background?”
“I played the piano,” Bill said.
“Ah, yes, ” the man said, nodding, “that’s it, that’s where it must come from.”
The man then stood up, reaching into the drawer of his desk, and held up two small gold-colored plastic trophies.
“Boys,” he said, almost solemnly, “I now want to formally present a token of congratulations to you both. You have demonstrated not only an ability with rhythm in your previous instruction, but now you have shown an understanding of the fundamentals, and I’d like to give you these trophies which mean that you’ve both made 100 in your examination, the highest mark.” The boys, smiling, accepted the