My first time was in 1952 in Grade 1 at the Strawberry Vale Elementary School Christmas Concert, when I played xylophone in a rhythm band. We performed the Syncopated Waltz and I got to do the last 2 notes of each bar.

Apparently it made my parents extemely nervous, because unlike the other children, who seemed to demonstrate considerable concentration regarding each of their parts, I spent my time rubbernecking the whole time and appeared not to be paying attention to what was going on, but I never missed a beat when it came to my turn or plunked a wrong note.

In Grade 4, I got the solo singing part at another Christmas Concert of:

Soldier, soldier, won't you marry me?
Its oh the fife and drum

to the reply of:

How can I marry such a pretty girl as you,
When I have no coat to put on?

The chorus was:

Off to the tailor she did go
As hard as she could run,
Brought him back the finest that was there,
And soldier put it on (ad infinitum)

After I had decked him out in finery, his wife showed up and dragged him off stage. I hated it. The thought of being taken advantage of by a "boy" for my money and my heart coloured my thoughts for most of my elementary school years, and probably most of my secondary school years as well.

In Grade 6 I played Allegany Moon on the piano for the school. I don't recall that as a pleasant experience either.