Administration

[Terra of the Lilies]

None of the uniforms fit me well right now. The jacket's too baggy and big (especially the shoulders... xd ), my pants are too loose...they even adjusted everyone's pants, and most people couldn't wear normal shorts under theirs anymore...I could. xd We only get $1k a year from the school, and the uniforms are...a lot. xd Way more than that, from what I know. We've been doing intense fundraising lately. Ours have had minor changes over the years, but I think they're at least ten years old.

I can't think about cars until I'm old enough for my permit...and I don't know how old that is anymore. They keep on talking about changing it, and I don't know if it was actually changed or not.

 

[[Aelfwyn]]

Who is Puffer Fish

Whoops, my mistake. Force of habit, and I thought you said 'chair'. Will read more closely next time XD;
Your director...needs to learn how to lead properly. That's now how to do things, she's stupid IMO.

As soon as I find my cloning device I'll make you a copy of my director, he'd whip your program around so fast it'd be insane. He uh...only promotes people to first chair if they're good players and good people, as proven by -our- trumpet section. Our top two chairs play really well but one is less of an a*****e so he got 'section leader' spot and first chair.

Can't you talk to your director at all and ask what her deal is? I know band politics are stupid but she's only making it worse, IMO.

My director is definitely a dude... But maybe I could ask "her" what "her" problem is. rofl

 

[Tubariffic]

My university premiered new uniforms this year, it was happy.

And in highschool we would get a uniform allowance from the county every 6 years or so, but we never get new uniforms because they are just that epic, so the money went to new tubas xD  

[T i f a]

My high school got new uniforms roughly every ten years.  

[Peutaiite]

Terra of the Lilies

Whoo! Guess who was grounded for the past week? xd

We didn't have school on friday due to...maybe half an inch of snow. Our school board is stupid. Plus they want to cut lots of sports and stuff. Not marching band, though, since they only give us around 1k a year, anyway.

SPEAKING OF MARCHING BAND, we were measured the other day for our new uniforms. :] They look so amazing, and my uniform will actually fit me for once! (But if I get drum major for next season when I try out, then it won't fit again... xd ) We might have them in time for our Disney trip at the end of March, I'm so excited. =D They're beautiful!

LUCKY OMFG!!

Up in Canada they don't call snow day's unless the roads are frozen. There could be like 6 feet of snow and we'd still go!


My band shirt is really dorky, but it fits fine.
I'd normally be proud to wear a band shirt, but ours are purplish reddish, and we have to wear weird long silver ties.

But the jazz band shirts are nice. smile  

[Terra of the Lilies]

ARGHA;SLDKHFEKT;AHEKLHT
I don't like people.

So, the board of ed. where I live is making a lot of budget cuts for next year, 'cause they're getting around 20 million dollars less from the government than they usually do. They want to cut a lot of programs, and luckily, band isn't on that list. Good, right? They're thinking of cutting freshmen sports and JV sports, though, so there's a group on facebook (Don't let *CENSORED* get rid of any sports) about it.

A lot of parents have been stating on it that both sports and the arts are fundamental to education, and I was like, "Awesome! At least the parents understand!" ...And then an idiot comes in and says this:

"just get rid of band!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!suckers"

...I hate people like that. stare It's just ridiculous. People who don't like band just want them to get rid of it, and they don't even realize how little funding we get, anyway. I mean, we have to pay $700 a year, and still fundraise like crazy to keep the program going. We get no help from the school board at all, and yet some people think that we get this crazy amount of money every year. There's a reason we fundraise so much, idiots.

Gahhh. I understand that a lot of the big sports guys aren't like that, but the group of them that are just piss me off.

 

[T i f a]

I found out the county that includes my old high school is thinking about cutting elementary school music. If this happens, eventually the middle school and high school bands will disappear too. Why are the arts always the first thing to go? : /  

[Terra of the Lilies]

That's ridiculous! Is it a money issue? If that's it, they could try to fundraise a lot and get them to only cut the budget, or something...

So, there's an army of like, four people (kind of including myself) on the sports group thing on facebook saying that this has happened to the art programs way too many times, and unlike us, they can take a hit. I don't see anything wrong with getting rid of freshmen sports...they can always join a jv team, right? But nooo, they're all complaining and talking about how our Board of Ed. is apparently horrible, selfish, and tyrannical. xd

 

[__penguin__]

I'm in wind ensemble at my university now, on tenor sax wtf .-.  

[[Aelfwyn]]

Remember the old days of Gaia when new items didn't cost real money, when you could actually be excited about a new item, saving up gold to buy it? There were still monthly collectibles, but they could be bought in the marketplace for less than 10k?

*Sigh* I miss those days

Solo and ensemble in in 15 days...and I just joined an ensemble today that was short a trumpet player. Wonder how that's going to go...it would be all good except for the high B in it that I can hit, but not all the time. The second player was giving me death stares when I said that I couldn''t play it. He probably was thinking he should have been on first because of the range of 1st part. I finally have enough confidence in myself to actually feel good enough (compared to other people) to play 1st. Even my solo practicing went well today. Do you every have a day when everything comes together that you thought never would? It was like that.

 

[Peutaiite]

Guys, not to distract from any topics or anything, but I have an audition on Monday the 1st! 4-ish days!

I'm playing:

Eb+ 2 octaves
C#+ 1 octave 2 notes slur two notes staccato
Vocalise (For my piece)

And then:

Sight Reading
Ear+Clap tests
Interview

Any advice?  

[Who is Puffer Fish]

[Aelfwyn]

Who is Puffer Fish

Whoops, my mistake. Force of habit, and I thought you said 'chair'. Will read more closely next time XD;
Your director...needs to learn how to lead properly. That's now how to do things, she's stupid IMO.

As soon as I find my cloning device I'll make you a copy of my director, he'd whip your program around so fast it'd be insane. He uh...only promotes people to first chair if they're good players and good people, as proven by -our- trumpet section. Our top two chairs play really well but one is less of an a*****e so he got 'section leader' spot and first chair.

Can't you talk to your director at all and ask what her deal is? I know band politics are stupid but she's only making it worse, IMO.

My director is definitely a dude... But maybe I could ask "her" what "her" problem is. rofl

I'm so late on this, but I could have sworn yours was female. Someone's here is. I ALWAYS MESS UP BD GENDERS ALSDKFJSD.

@Cutting band: It's because people outside of the programs think they're superfluous and irrelevant to school, while sports are SO IMPORTANT that they get all the funding. Also, ignorance and refusal to learn about the organization may be a part of it.
My entire school is like 'lolband is lame'. Even some of the band kids are like that, which I don't understand. I definitely don't understand how my marching section gets no respect...even from its own members.
But I digress.

@Elfy: You'll be fine. Range isn't what's always important, it's also tone and work ethic and etc. Plus you're probably a better person than that guy if he really would glare at you for having a higher chair in band than him. :l

@Peutaiite: Practice. We can't help with sight-reading or the clap tests or interviews or anything. Just don't get too nervous, and remember the fundamentals of sight reading:
1: Find the key signature, time signature, and accidentals first.
2: Try to look at the hard rhythms and figure them out before time's up and before looking at easier things.
3: It's more important to get the rhythm right than the notes, especially in sight reading.
4: If it's anything like the auditions around here in North VA, you're allowed to sizzle or clap or what-have-you the rhythms as long as you don't play your instrument before they call time. At least, I think that's how it works here...dunno. Don't do this unless you're certain you're allowed to.
5: As for the interview, make your point the first time and don't keep beating around the bush. Try to be concise in your answers and don't let this part freak you out. Doubly so if you're like me and kind of shy/awkward around unknown people. Ask your director what kinds of questions they ask at auditions (he/she may have done some in the past) and have him/her ask them to you so you can get a feel for what you'll need to answer.
Good luck! (:  

[Peutaiite]

Thanks. smile
Now it's in 2 days!

Thanks for the sight reading tips. I'll try to remember them all. razz I'm really bad at it.

The thing is, it's an audition to go to a different school. I'm in grade 10 now, but where I'm auditioning for is amazing. Their band plays the hardest level possible at music fest, they get music class all year round, and it's for people like us, who love band and music.

It's an art school, so the programs are drama, visual art, dance, literary, and
music (vocal, strings or winds/perc.)

So when you think about it, it's basically like the movie Fame or something (haven't seen it, but judging by the previews, it is) And apparently everyone's nice, and they're all weird, like me! (They say things like, "Every day is Halloween there" and no one finds it weird if someone is randomly in a ridiculous costume.

And the people are so talented, just type in, "Canterbury High School Ottawa" on youtube and watch what you find.

The thing is, my parents don't want me to go, and they said that even if I make it, I won't be going.

They say that I'm "Too successful" where I am now, and they don't want to change anything.
Any tips on how to convince them?  

[Who is Puffer Fish]

That's exciting!
One of my friends wants to go to Interlochen Academy in Michigan, which is pretty much the same thing.
His parents think the same thing and won't let him go either...

I don't know your parents so I don't know how to guaranteed convince them, but maybe try to show how Canterbury would improve your success even more by immersing you in what you love doing. Maybe even get your band director to be on your side and talk to them too, as a teacher reference? In my experience, teachers are better at reasoning with parents than the kids themselves are.

Just as a point: Since this isn't a normal school that you'll be going to (by public school/private school standards, I guess) it may cost money, and that might be why your parents aren't letting you go, but using other things as an excuse. Don't go by me because I have no idea if this is true or not. Just thought I'd throw this out there, cause it's always a possibility.

On another note, at my regular high school I see people dressed weird at least once a month or so due to drama class stuff.
...I can't tell you how many times I've seen togas in the dead of winter, lol.  

[Peutaiite]

Cool. Schools like that are amazing. sad

That's a good idea, but for the arts teacher reference I used my piano teacher. Most people go to this school from grade 8 to grade 9, but I'd be entering late. So I'm auditioning for gr.11. I don't want to tell my BD about it because:
1.She'd get mad/feel hurt that I'm wanting to switch
2. If I don't get in, I fear she'll hate me for the next two years
But my piano teacher was really excited about it. I thought about her being able to convince them. Hopefully it works. razz

oh! It actually is technically a public school. They do the same things as usual high schools do, no extra cost involved, they just have special arts programs. They're more in-depth, you take 2 classes of them a year opposed to one, etc. Like... for example, my friend has music all year there, and theory is an actual separate class and she is immersed in music, but other than that it would be classified as a regular school
And future famous people go there. You know the show Chuck? Well apparently someone from that show went there.

Lol, that's cool. This school is just SOOO COOOL!!!
OH! You know the Harry Potter Musical? Well at this school, they did the first act! When I showed the original act on Youtube to my friend, she just said, "Cool, my school did the same thing." I was so jealous.

At my school Harry Potter is, "gay" "stupid" "pathetic" and all that stuff.