Cracker Jack Box Violins

This is not going to be a long post but it's a memory that just popped up and I wanted to write it down.

I am visiting Grandma Smith and Aunt Mel this week and Grandma just pulled out some Cracker Jacks. It made me remember when Mom would start teaching a new student who was very young, instead of starting them out on a real instrument, she would wrap a Cracker Jacks box in brown paper, tape a footlong ruler on the end, and use that as a practice instrument. She would show the child how to hold the instrument and where their fingers would go. She would also train them to handle the instrument with care.

Like I said, not long.