this is just a stupid little vent

i play in the highest level band at my school. We're incredibly competitive, and for a high school level, i'd say we are pretty good.

however, every single band student is required to play "pep band" at home football games. Playing things like "smoke on the water" and "mony mony". while these songs are fun, i find them to be almost insulting to what i've worked so hard to achieve as far as my musicianship is concerned.

anyways, i have to go to the football game tonight dressed in school colors, freeze my ass off and play stupid songs for a grade. ARGH. And the principal and athletic coordinator is trying to require the band to get there at 6 (when the game doesn't start until 7:30) because the football team likes to listen to us when they warm up!

oh my goodness, buy a cd for them. I'm so irritated right now.

 

Haha, at least you don't have to wear the tall fuzzy hats and ascots. Our high school band did and I so envied their wardrobe.

I was a band dancer, personally. My motto? "Because I'm not cool enough to be in the band." Two friends and I would travel to the games and dance with the band the entire game. We were the only people who weren't band members who Livingston (the director that year) allowed to sit in the same section as the band. Ah man, I miss that! Our band was terrible, but it was so much fun!

Daniel (my sig. other) was one of the best band members and sax players our school has EVER seen. When he was a junior in high school, he took a quartet to state. He picked the piece, arranged the music, held practices, and got the highest score at state. They were the first and only ones to do that in the history of our school. He was the 3rd person in the history of our school to go to state for the band. Then the next year, they ran off the band director because the band was overshadowing the football team. The new band director didn't let Daniel compete for state his senior year.

 

are you gonna go in a bunnysuit?

 

the football team doesn't give a fuck if the band is playing during warmup...

 

...

Only in America....

 

Luckily, orchestras and choirs are given a lot more respect. And don't do stupid shit like footballs games

 

Pahahahaha...not my choir. Sang the national anthem at football games, and the only competition we did every year aside from solo/ensemble was at a festival particularly geared towards elementary and jr. high choirs. Fucking ridiculous. Which is why I quit after my sophomore year.

 

i feel for you. in 9th grade i was in marching band (pukes), regular band (forget the name) and symphonic band which you gotta try out to get into and it was very hard in my HS. in 10th i dropped marching and the loser band... stayed symphonic. i would have died if i would have had to put on that costume n march around again.

what instrument do you play? i was flute/piccolo... my mom is a music teacher n i learned at like age five but i didnt get GOOD til 10th grade.. i remember going to states .. i sucked but i was the only flute player in my school to go.

anyways i suggest to just go with your talent and the music and well if you gotta do that marching band type of bullshit, just do it and know you don't gotta like it. a task... an annoying one i know but stick it out and good luck.

 

and yeah just work it. know that you are learning music and it can help you later on if you have any musical dreams. work it.

 

thats what you get for being a band-tard

 

next time for sure

Originally Posted by A-Bear's-Vagina
Luckily, orchestras and choirs are given a lot more respect. And don't do stupid shit like footballs games

our title is officiall "wind ensemble" and it's very hard to get into this level. But everyone involved in the music program has to support football. I live in a hick town.

LukyStripe- and i play the flute. (i also sing and play the piano and the guitar but those don't really have anything to do with this)

 

So how many bands are there in your school ?
How many bands does a school even need ?

 

we have 4 different bands.
1 basic level, anyone can be in.
2- symphonic band - audition required but still simple music. it helps students take the next step in becoming musicians.
3- wind ensemble - competition/traveling band. for a high school level we are playing fairly difficult pieces.
4- jazz band. exactly as it sounds. Also pretty competitive and audition only.

i think seperating the bands works well because it seperates those who are serious about becoming musicians from those who just take the class for an easy A or do not put as much work into it.

 

So you want to be a musician ?

 

i'm considering it. I know i want to at least continue it through college.

 

We only have the one band in our school, sucks really - they do stuff like christmas assembly and shit. They dont even do open evening - one of my other friends is doing guitar all night with some other bandish people... Just not the school band.