Tuesday, April 1, 2014

The Funeral Band

A drummer, a trumpeter and a jazz player make up the band. Being a musician is not a full time job for them. It is something that they do part time, but when time calls, they drop everything and band together for their job. They have a dressed code for this job, a white shirt and black pants, always a white shirt and black pants, never changing, always constant. For what they do, is play soothing music to help those bid farewells to their loved ones. From the house to the church, they blow their trumpet and beat their drum, proclaiming to the whole world, the death of someone’s loved one.

The trumpet blows in a long drone, while the drum beats every two seconds. It is only when coffin in lifted into the grave that the beat picks up, trying to remind people, not to moan, but to celebrate for their loved one has passed onto the next life.

Just as death comes on unexpectedly, with no warning, they too are expected to drop everything and join in the moaning of the family. The service they offer is inexpensive, but it is not for the money that they do it. It is because, someone has to play music to bid adieu to the dead with solemn, beautiful music.   

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