The Slice: He excelled at one end of the dynamic spectrum

This is the opposite of pumping up the volume.

“Hearing about the recent music gala performed by Spokane School District students, I recalled the time I took violin lessons while in fifth grade at Arlington Elementary,” wrote retiree Stan Hughes.

The day came when the fifth grade musicians were to perform for an audience. “As we filed onto the stage, the instructor took me aside and told me to look at the people around me and move my bow like them … but do not let it touch the strings.”

That was OK with Stan.

It was only some time later that he understood the implied critique of his ability to play his instrument.

Does that remind you of the episode of “The Andy Griffith Show” where tone-deaf Barney joins the choir and Andy tries to convince him to silently sing into the microphone?

So much for the age of innocence: One of the birds Joseph Cadwallader misses from his Nebraska childhood is the Baltimore oriole. “They have a beautiful bright orange breast and form a distinctive nest.”

Speaking of that nest. About 70 years ago, when Joseph’s older sisters were teenagers, the girls would giggle at the sight of one. He didn’t know why at the time. But eventually he got clued in.

“It looked like an adult human male scrotum.”

Today’s family phrase: Joan Williams shared this. “My dad used to compliment my mom’s cooking by saying, ‘You’ve really got a good scald on it this time, Mother.’ ”

Slice answers: “Best behaved parents at kids sports event?” wrote Leonna Bowers. “Got to be any Special Olympics event. Nothing but encouragement for the contestants on both sides.”

Jerry Hilton has observed parents at hockey, soccer, wrestling, track, cross country, gymnastics, swimming and baseball. In his opinion, parents at gymnastics competitions are the best behaved.

Warm-up question: Is there any adult who has to keep track of zero passwords?

Today’s Slice question: We all know about Clark Kent, the reporter with a secret. But how would it sound if your occupation were tacked onto the description “mild mannered”?