Band

[FlightSimBoy]

So, I wanted to start this thread to hear what other members are in their school's band. I know Rubber Chicken is.

So, I'm a baritone player for my school. I am also one of the two seniors in my section.

Our first competition is Saturday. I am really excited for the bus ride because one of my really really good friends is on the same bus! I am quite worried about the competition though, we only have 3 of our 4 songs down, and these are great marching wise, but musically we still need work.

I love being in band, yet I have no idea why I do it. It is so hard to do sometimes, but in the end, its worth it.

 

[hascet]

I am, we have all 4 of our movements down with music, albeit not perfect, and our first competition is in two Saturdays. I hate doing marching band sometimes, but its worth it in the end. I especially hate band camp, and basics.

 

[FlightSimBoy]

Yeah. Band is very rewarding. I have made so many friends along the way, and I think that is why I do band.

Its going to be very hard to let go when it comes time for me to graduate.

So, to me, basic fundamental block is extremely boring, but we try to make it fun in our band. Sometimes it doesn't work out that way, but oh well.

And band camp varied year by year for me. This year was incredibly easy compared to years past. My sophomore year was by far the hardest because the show was extremely hard - the tempo was pretty much 180 throughout the entire show. My junior year (last year) was pretty hard, but it really paid off as we got grand champion at every competition we went to.

 

[root]

I'm no longer in the school band, (cause I'm no longer in school).

but I used to be in the school band.

I started playing baritone when I was 6, then I moved onto playing Euphonium when I was a couple of years older, after that moved onto playing Bb Bass, first a half sized one, then a full sized one.

the bands I played in are:
Primary school band,
"junior band" -which was outside of school
then secondary school band
then "senior band" -which again was outside of school.

(junior band was the towns junior band for ages perhaps 10 - 16 we'd play mostly fetes and stuff).

the senior band was for people aged perhaps 15/16 through to pretty much just about to die!

The senior band would march in the town carnival, but mostly we'd play competitions, whether they were entertainment competition, or set competitions with test pieces, or the "nationals". though as fun things we did go on tour in France twice and in Germany once.

(if any one has ever seen the film 'Brassed Off' the competition that they enter in that film is the nationals).

the town where I lived the band was a second section band, when I was in it, but it might be in the first section now (i think that's the last I heard anyway)
for those who don't understand that, brass band competitions are arranged into divisions, rather like football.

you have a championship section, first section, second section and third section.

each player gets a registration card that's a photo ID and is registered to a band, to make sure that small town bands aren't borrowing players from bands in better sections etc...

when you enter a national competition each and every band plays the same piece to an adjudicator, the adjudicator never actually sees the band just judges them based on.

anyway, that's enough brass band geekery for now.
I stopped playing before I went to uni (as I moved out of town, and since my bass was loaned from the band, (they cost about £3,000 or more to buy) I couldn't take it with me and carry on.
so I played in the band from ages 6 to aged 18.



just as a last note, I did buy a trombone last year in an attempt to get back into it, and am learning to play that, though teaching yourself at home instead of getting lessons like I did when I was younger is a lot more difficult.

 

[Rubber314Chicken]

let see... I play percussion in our wind ensemble. most its just sitting on your ass for an hour and then two notes, so good with me. I'm bass 4 (of 4) in our marching band, which is basically the best instrument to play because its the only drum that gets solos, in the true meaning of the word, in like every song.

I'm also in our school's rock orchestra. The first, the best and the greatest. Some other schools have tried to replicate it, but have failed. I do know that we are the only High School orchestra in the US that goes on tour though.

 

[xtremezx2]

Used to be in school band. First Chair Alto Saxophone all through high school. Also had a punk bad all through school in which I was the guitar player. Hard to believe how long ago all that was now.

 

[drumthrasher]

I WAS in a band for 5 years until I moved down to where I am now and the band director was a goddamn asshole, so I finally quit, and so did a bunch of other people. THEN he was fired...but I'm glad I'm not in it because I don't have much time.

 

[J03]

I play keyboard in my school.

I have to do it