Administration

[Who is Puffer Fish]

@Tuba: Niceee. 8D

@Tifa: My director's such a fail at giving auditions, I swear...as long as you can play the notes in some close approximation of the actual rhythm, he thinks you'll be fine and you're in. I had my music for all of twenty minutes, ran through it four times (despite my friends distracting me ugh) and still made it XD

Yeah, jazz music's kind of complicated...I can't imagine how it is on trumpet. My friend usually gets like last chair and thus third part...but he's also the only one of them who can play fluglehorn so if we play another song with a part for it he'll be first chair for it. Such a cheater. xD

I hope they can fix your computer!
My oboe friend's computer completely died; her hard drive just...killed itself. She's getting a replacement like...this week? I don't even remember. I felt so bad for her because she lost EVERYTHING. gonk
...I'm sure that didn't happen to yours, though. She got a (possibly blue?) screen of death.  

[MHHornfreak]

I loved playing in the basketball band in highschool and in college!
Mainly because in highschool we would play our one song that has lots of moves in it and the other bands would be in awe xD

In college it was fun because we were a nationally ranked team and we'd get shown on tv lots.
Also the trips are great! PAC-10 Conference games we'd get to travel to L.A. and we'd get free room and board as well as some spending money. All on the bill of the NCAA.

As for the Road to the Final Four! Well i got to spend almost a week in Tennessee for the NCAA womens basketball tournament since we won and advanced! Also the mens tournament we were in San Diego! Same thing goes for that, we got spending money and free flight and room and wee got to check out the city!


I've always loved playing in jazzband it's how i learned music. I was more trained on jazz then classical. Flugelhorn is used alot in solo pieces for bigband so the second trumpet usually plays it in our band. If your lead you dont really get to solo much since the parts make you usually wail.
I've always loved the first Tenor spot because of all the solos. Most pieces for jazz will have tenor features and i took advantage of that (still do)xP
We actually have reahearsal on monday and i cant wait since we've been on hiatus for a while.
I've been playing lots of stuff on play alongs and listening to lots of jazz to get me back up to speed.  

[Who is Puffer Fish]

Mmm, all this talk about jazz bands makes me want our usual jazz band curriculum back.
Due to Puerto Rico this April, my director's repertoire for this year is, yet again, Latin jazz. Not that I dislike that, I just...would like to play some more traditional big-bandy jazz sometime before I graduate lol :l

Good news though, my percussion friend made it and is going to be basically the piano/vibe backup if either me or the pianist die a horrible death or can't make a performance (which is worse than death!).  

[MHHornfreak]

Congrats to your friend Puffer!


Well latin jazz is fun but kinda hard to play. It's super fun if your a brass player! Specially a trombone player! Nothing like a good trombone solo in a latin jazz piece! Afro Cuban EVEN! Those latin books definately kick my a** when i read through em.  

[Who is Puffer Fish]

Yes, she was so nervous...her old school that she recently transfered from only took one person for each instrument so she was freaking out thinking she didn't make it at all. Luckily, my school is nowhere near that strict and we allow percussion until we can't hold any more and have enough parts for us to play xD

I personally find it hilarious how everyone in my jazz band is either black, white, or Asian. Although there might be one Hispanic girl this year taking over bari sax...

We have Latin jazz minus the inherent musical knowledge to go along with it XD
--
Oh yeah, my band's trumpets and trombone/mellophone section like it sometimes. Our saxes hate it because there's so many crazy runs with Es and As and occassional on beats. If we get it right it sounds awesome, but if we don't...then we sound like trash. (IE: What we sound like first run-through on full-band Friday rehearsals XD)
The only people in my band to get solos last year were our lead trombone, our awesome bari who quit, obvious trumpet section leader, and my trumpet friend on flugle for Spain by Chick Corea. *awesome song, no lie*  

[Terra of the Lilies]

I like jazz, but I'm not really feeling it when I'm playing...you know? I hope it's just because I haven't perfected the music yet. :[

I can't decide whether this is good or bad. I'm the only oboe auditioning for all-county band, so I'm automatically gonna get it...I like that, but I wanna earn it.

 

[Who is Puffer Fish]

There is no 'automatic' in band tryouts.

I thought that way last year for all-district jazz band tryouts, being the only vibraphone player trying out so I assumed that meant I was in.

...I was the only one to try out, and I was also the only one to not make it.
Just because you're the only one doesn't mean they have to take you. They could also just be an all-county band without an oboe.

Treat it like any other audition where you have competition. I personally now treat every audition like the best guy in the county is going to be there...because usually he is. >>


And typically jazz is hard to get into when you don't have the rhythms down. Just...get into yo' groove and get it on! /weird  

[Terra of the Lilies]

Well, around here, they even take the worst when they're needed...my audition is still gonna be good (of course =D), but last year, apparently they took almost every clarinet player that tried out because there were so few of them...even the bad ones. My director told me today that I'm definitely going to get it, but I should make my audition amazing so they don't have any doubts and stuff like that. I'm assuming that the oboe player they had last year was a senior, so she's obviously not trying out again... xd

Yeah, I'll work on it. xd I don't think it helps we have jazz band right after concert band, so I'm all "THIS SOUNDS DIFFERENT...", and I'm playing a completely different instrument.

 

[[Aelfwyn]]

Ugg, I'm at the short end of band politics (I think at least). The trumpet player who used to be under me has been promoted to first trumpet (second chair; we haven't done auditions yet) for concert band with poor Elfie now on second. I'm not even sure why. My director just told me to move down a seat one day in band. sad The kid can play higher than me, but that's about it. It's possible my director has those delusions that high notes= good player. My mom thinks that I got moved down because my director wants to support this kid and give him "positive reenforcement" so he stays out of trouble and what not (not the best home life I hear). But if that's the cause, why couldn't my director just tell me that?

Band politics. Never thought they would happen to me.

Well this kid is the one who also got 1st part for jazz band, but he got moved off it on Monday. I would feel bad, except he didn't deserve the part at all. He's sooo arrogant and full of himself. Like well director said that the 1st part in each section leads the section, he got all cocky and did this little hand snap thing. I don't think I have ever followed his lead. In jazz band, I follow the now first trumpet-senior who has excellent rhythmic skills. With all this part shifting, I fear I may lose my 2nd part. I love second part; it gets most of the solos <8.

My director asked me today if I want to play horn again for concert band. Part of me Looooves horn with a fierce passion, but I don't want to become a low part in marching band next year over it. My place in band is already shaky at best and not practicing trumpet every day isn't going to help my case. I just don't have time anymore to devote to two instrument, which means my trumpet would probably get neglected. I would need to practice horn more because I have less experience on it.

And part of me (the really paranoid side) thinks maybe director is just trying to get me off trumpet? *Sigh* Band is too complicated...

 

[Who is Puffer Fish]

@Terra: Lol I hear you. The amazing, always-makes-every-audition percussionist graduated last year...or he's a senior now and won't be here next year, one of the two. It sucks, because of him (and because I don't practice, ehehe) I haven't made all-district EVER.

My jazz band is actually first thing in the morning, before school. So on band days it's Jazz band, two classes, lunch, band, math. And jazz band is so HUGE this year! Five trumpets, six trombones, and like six saxes. Four general percussionists, one vibes, one guitar, one bass, one piano.
...we're freaking enormous and I'm surprised we can all fit in our little teeny percussion corner. :l

@Elfy: Maybe you should ask your director about some of this? Ask him which he thinks you would do better on, and if he says horn, ask him why he thinks you should stop playing trumpet (since you've obviously been playing it longer by what you said)?

And maybe on the subject, ask him about the kid getting promoted over you in CB.

Band politics suck. Luckily, the only politics in my band is among the parent volunteer hierarchy. ...which actually makes it worse but >>;
I hope you get everything at least figured out soon ):  

[Terra of the Lilies]

Sooo, if our football team wins their game on saturday, we have to go to states with them...normally I'd be happy, but it'll be in december, and we have to perform. D= I already forgot most of our sets for the show, and I know that it would suck to have that as our last performance...considering our REAL last performance was amazing.

I love marching, but...no thanks. xd

 

[Who is Puffer Fish]

Your football team is still playing?
Ours finished the last Friday of October...or somewhere around there. o_o  

[Terra of the Lilies]

Unfortunately. They made it to playoffs. xd First time in awhile, I think...

 

[Who is Puffer Fish]

If we had made it (which would have been AMAZING), it would have been the first time in my school's history.
Heck, it was the first time in school history that we won more than two games in the whole season. biggrin  

[Terra of the Lilies]

Bleh, my audition sucked. It was my band director and someone who taught AMS (Advanced Music Studies) last year...I think that made it worse. I could play it fine right before I entered the room. D= I always get nervous during something, rather than before it like everything else...at least my scales were good? xd