Yesterday I was supposed to have a rehearsal with a student taking grade 4 trombone next week. He arrived complete with trombone, schoolbag, PE kit, tennis racket. He removed the trombone from its case and I asked him for his music. 'I didn't bring it' he replied. ' I had too much to carry'. He certainly did have a lot to carry, but I really don't think three little books would have made that
much difference.

I have once turned up for my violin lesson with no music by mistake. But no probs just did scales and sight reading. Quite useful really.

A friend of mine turned up for orchestra rehearsal and when she opened her violin case it was empty .

A friend of mine did that!

I told her to get her clarinet out and there was no clarinet in the case!!

*chuckles!*

lol I haven't done that yet!

I don't think I've had any proper excuses for forgetting anything! It's either "I forgot" which is true or I'll have another reason which will make complete sense to me (and will also be true) but no one else will understand and think that it's an excuse (which it isnt't!) lol

I always think I have left my flute at home and just brought the case. I don't generally have excuses, I often say if I haven't practiced and feel bad if I forget some music

That happened to me once. My brother had been drawing my violin for an art project and didn't tell me. I toddled off to orchestra with an empty case!

The person who used to have a piano lesson after me at 5:00pm. She was always about 10-15 minutes late for a half an hour lesson. This was my favourite excuse that she gave my teacher:

"I had a basketball match at 4:30-5:00. Then, my mum realised she needed to get petrol for her car".

She turned up 15 minutes late! Now, (I think, although I'm pretty sure) she has given up piano lessons.

i lost some music for a piece a few weeks ago. then my teacher gave me the book but i forgot to photocopy the music....so now she just took the book away and said i have to get it direct from the publisher

A friend of mine managed to forget part of her flute!! And I've been paranoid about forgetting my flute since then!

I hate to say it but I do forget my music quite alot! But I guess that shows that I've had my music out and been practising it!

I always have visions of me bringing my flute case without the flute! I dont think I've done that yet But it could easily be done!

My worst nightmare (it hasn't happened yet!) is getting to a gig and forgetting the tuning key for my harp. An out-of-tune harp sounds a bit like someone pelting bananas at bedsprings. It's probably the worst thing in the world - apart from two out-of-tune harps.

My worst ever thing I actually did - and there was no excuse really - was when I was an organist and arrived late for an important service. In fact, when I got out of the car, I could hear the sound of unaccompanied singing drifting out of the church - always a bad sound when you're the organist. I was faced with the dilemma of going back home and feigning some excuse. But I decided I should face the music. The church was full to bursting and I got robed up and had to get to the organ console, which was in the chancel - had to process right up the aisle through the congregation, through the middle of the choir, and turn left just before I got to the vicar. Difficult to do this discreetly - but I tried to glide along looking suitably solemn.

Just a shame that when I got to the organ console I realised I'd left the key in the choir vestry - and had to do a return journey to get it. I still cringe at the thought of that one!

Thought I'd dig this thread up as my recent 'I couldn't do any practice the other day because I came to hear you play in a concert' was accepted as legitimate.

During my time as a choirmaster at a large sea-front parish church, the best excuse I ever had from a boy who turned up very late for choir practice was:

"Please Sir, I couldn't get out of my wet suit!"

Two days before a lesson, young 'Herbert' rings me: "I need to cancel. The dog wee'd on my keyboard."

I say: "You don't have a dog."

He says: "We did for an hour...we don't now he wee'd on the keyboard!"

I've turned up to band practice with no music to see how long it takes me to pick up a song by ear.

Brilliant . . .