Stradivarius I am not...

Way back when I was in Junior school (around 1976)

I would have been in the 1st. year (so I'd be around 7/8) and my brother was in the 3rd. year... the Head teacher came around asking if anyone fancied having Violin lessons.... Hands shot up like they did then, we all did that standing on tippy-toes dance seeing who could point the highest Anyways towards the end of the day, the Headmaster again came around and said that there'd been unprecedented demand (Big word for a 7 Year old!) so we'd all have to take a mini-test to find out the people who could have the lessons.....

We all went downstairs to the main hall and were all given two pencils and a few sheets of questions and told to find ourselves a spot on the floor and do the test... so me in my little grey shorts got my stuff and went and lay down near my brother....

The test went as follows :

1. Put your name at the top of the sheet - EASY!
2. Now, the first question was :

"Along the top of this sheet you will see a series of musical notes... we want you to write 'The Name' under each note"

So me being me, pencil in mouth, staring at the ceiling, thrashing my legs left and right and reading the questions 'to the letter' began to write...

...Test over, the sheets were collected, we all sat in a group, crossed legs and waited.... and waited... and waited...

The headmaster, went through the sheets, piling on the left or the right (I assumed, passed or failed)

There was a pause, he looked over his glasses at me, back at the sheet, then called one, two, ALL the teachers over, there were giggles and shaking of heads... then I was called over...

"Mark... did you read the questions?"
"Yes Sir?"
"Rrrrrright... are you being silly?"
"No Sir?"

he then showed me back my sheet of answers and pointed out my answer to the first question...

"Along the top of this sheet you will see a series of musical notes... we want you to write 'The Name' under each note"


I had written:

"The Name" "The Name" "The Name" "The Name".........

Needless to say, I never actually did get those Violin lessons.....

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