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Yeh! In college I played in the band to keep my scholarship. And I played in the Air Force Band to stay out of Viet Nam. But, know what. I think I grew up somewhere along the way. The most used tapes in my car are march tapes. Most classic marches are strict sonata-alegero form, and analysing them makes a long trip shorter, to say nothing about safer and more enjoyable. And in retrospect, my best frendships all had serious band connections. So, I suggest you continue to hate band. But, take copious mental notes. These just may be the highlights of your bio someday.
Posts: 1167 | Registered: Oct 2005
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To this day, I will not go to parades because of marching band. I would march along in that wool suit, under the hot sun, wearing a helmut that didn't fit, my head pounding, my back and shoulders aching from holding my trombone in one position, bored out of my mind, and think to myself, "If none of these stupid* people were here, I wouldn't have to be marching in this parade."
On the other hand, I loved the feild shows and competition season.
* I do of course realize that people who attend parades are not actually stupid. I was being pejorative in my misery.
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I start teaching a leadership camp for high school drum majors and section leaders next week. Preparations in full swing.
Posts: 1099 | Registered: Apr 2005
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Marching band rocks! Except for the marching part...
No, its great. I just dislike how I go to a small school, so we only go to one competition every year. Steve, are there any good competitions in our (mid-MO & St. Louis) area to get involved in? We only do Band Day at Central Methodist in Fayette.
Oh well. Anyways, go clarinets, and remember the motto: Spit happens.
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We went from MI to FL to march in the 150th Orange Bowl Parade. We were nationaly ranked, and were runners-up for the Rose Bowl Parade every year....the RB only took 4 bands nation-wide back then, unless your band marched in the very first parade, so it was pretty cool. Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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genius- There is one at Potosi. Do you know where that is? And, if you're lucky, your school can get invited to a competition at the Edward Jones Dome.
Posts: 6026 | Registered: Dec 2004
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Marching band can be a grand experience unless your director stands atop a large ladder and commands like a dictator a la Hitler, Stalin etc...Not to mention the decrease in the quality of the music our band is playing...we started with Bernstein and now we are playing some ridiculous post-minimalist crap...
Posts: 28 | Registered: Jul 2006
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Amilia--Trombones have seven positions along the slide for all of their notes and yet you only held your horn in ONE POSITION? Was the slide stuck? Did you like play only C#'s or some other note when it came up in the score?
Since the slide affords trombonists the opportunity to "fine tune" particular notes they can be perfectly in tune all of the time, right? It seems, however, that most of them are always OUT of tune with each other.
When I was in a military band in the eary seventies, a General (3 star version) was reviewing a military ceremony where our band was performing. Afterward, he came over and spoke to the Bandmaster about how good the band sounded, but was there any way that he could get "those trombone players to get their slides moving the same way at the same time?" He didn't think it looked very "military" for the front row of the band to be in such a state of confusion.
The Bandmaster put out the word: the hell with the three part trombone harmonies. Whenever this General was going to be in attendance at a location where we played, all of the trombonists were issued "First Trombone" parts to the entire music slated for the ceremony/occasion. They were further ordered to use no "alternate positions" on the slide for their notes at all during those gigs. This brought howls of protests from the slidemen, but they complied. Well, eventually we played for that particular General again. Afterward, he came over and spoke to the Bandmaster again and said the group sounded magnificient. He also complimented the Bandmaster on clearing up "the problem with the trombone players." He said the band looked "very military" then.
I loved marching band! It was the best shape I was ever in. Marching band practice was WAY more physical than P.E. ever was. Of course, I didn't really love sweating in the sun ... I just loved the friendships, which were all in band. Spent more time with that band director than any other teacher in all my school years.
I still get all nostalgic every fall when I start hearing drum cadences floating through the air from the high school (many many blocks away, I can't believe we can hear them).
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quote:Originally posted by Kwea: I was in a 300 member marching band.....
...in high school.
We went from MI to FL to march in the 150th Orange Bowl Parade. We were nationaly ranked, and were runners-up for the Rose Bowl Parade every year....the RB only took 4 bands nation-wide back then, unless your band marched in the very first parade, so it was pretty cool.
What high school was that? You had to of been flight I if you competed in MCBA.
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quote:Amilia--Trombones have seven positions along the slide for all of their notes and yet you only held your horn in ONE POSITION? Was the slide stuck? Did you like play only C#'s or some other note when it came up in the score?
Well, it wasn't so bad when I was actually playing. I got to move one of my arms, and had something to think of other than how miserable I was and whether or not I was on the correct foot. But when you are just marching along at attention . . .
Great story, btw.
Posts: 364 | Registered: Dec 2005
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A few weeks ago I went on a field visit for class and didn't feel well so I sat outside. Santa Clara Vanguard's bass and snare lines were practicing across the street. Oh, nostalgia.
I was the section leader of the most powerful section of the marching band for two years, and I miss it terribly. I miss the marching, the playing, section bonding, making people run a lap with their drums over their heads, band camp, drum cadences, teaching sets, crowded stadiums, long parades, traveling to be on a televised half-time show, having amazing back muscles, picking up sticks with my toes, locking, standing on the thirty yard line alone to play taps as the rest of the band marched out...
Posts: 866 | Registered: Aug 2005
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