Wasn't sure where to post this

[_Daff]

I posted this http://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=25907 in the 'Literature' category, but it applies here as well.

Thanks in advance for your reponses.

Jeff

[Still Trying]

I can relate to some of the issues you brought up. I happen to enjoy classical music and do not have a problem with our community band playing a lot of traditional type band music. But our director does't believe in assigning parts, so the parts are played kind of on a first come-first served basis. We have a number of players, who always want to play first parts, even though they sound like ##@$%. They can't play the notes and they can't play the ones they hit in tune. And they won't practice enough to even learn to play the parts they grab. A musician can't play cleanly enough or well enough in tune enough to make his part sound good, when the guy next to him is missing every other note and playing out of tune on the rest. Listening to recordings of our concerts is down right embarrassing. It's becoming frustrating.

I'm in the process of investigating affordable brass quintet music. I'm going to attempt to form a smaller group of serious musicians, who are not necessarily pros, but who at least are competent and can be trusted to learn their parts. If some of the music we find swings, that's great, but playing in a group that sounds good is going to be even better.

I think this is a good alternative for someone frustrated with his playing conditions. If you don't like the group you're in, find or start another one.
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S. T.

What do we have that we did not receive, and if we received it, why do we glory, as if we received it not?

[_Daff]

You hit the nail on the head. I worked my way from third section to first in the first year and a half of my comeback and now play primarily second becaause I yielded to newcomers who were simply superior players. No problem. But....this fall 18 trumpets showed up and 16 stuck. There are 4 first, 7-8 second, and the rest in the basement. It's insane. They are all blowing their brains out. I am forced to overblow just to hear myself and the lead trumpet is a worn out egomaniacal pro that just sits there like a lump. No leadership, no teamwork. It's a joke. It's just a blowhard fest.

I enjoy the classical stuff occassionally, but would rather do pop music. This summer I was invited to play with a string orchestra. Now that was cool. There were only three of us on trumpet, so we had a voice and the exposure was a challenge.

Please keep us posted on the music you find and I'll do the same.

Thanks,

Jeff

[_dcstep]

Yeah, orchestral work tends to be a lot of fun and challenging, particularly if you don't have a good bit of experience transposing. For years I did both community band and community orchestra.

In the DFW area there are several audition or invite-only bands, most of which are pretty good. I was involved in starting one and that was a great, good sounding band, playing challenging music. LV is big enough that this may get started.

Also consider forming your own brass group, either a quintet or slightly expanded group. A quintet will really hone your chops, intonation and musicality.

Of course, there's alway ROCK & ROLL. That's all I do these days, other than the occasional church thing. I keep my legit chops up with Mssrs. Arban and Charlier. The rock is fun, but the band personalities are a little harder to corral, since the guitars and drummers can be from a different musical planet. Still, when it gels, it's great fun.

Dave
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Schilke '60 B1 -- 229 Bach-C/19-350 Blackburn -- Lawler TL Cornet -- Conn V1 Flugel -- Stomvi Master Bb/A/G picc -- GR mpcs
[url=http://www.pitpops.com] The PitPops[/url]
Rocky Mountain Trumpet Fest

[bandman322]

Your thoughts are great -- I have been teaching since 1980 and my main thought as to why I was teaching was to:

1) Help kids enjoy music and the arts!
2) Help kids learn that you must try to do some thing as close to your personal highest level possible.
3) Teach kids that we function in band as a mini-society. We all have differing views on what we want from the band. We all have differing views as to how we would interpret a piece of music. We must all work together for unit success, but as in real life some people work harder and carry the weight of the group. I guess you get the point.

Expressing the first two points means that I realize that all of my students do not have it as a goal to grow up and be great professional musicians. Less than 50% of the students we start play one year in a college band, and only about 80-85% play in the high school band. So I teach with the idea of helping them to understand music, and enjoy what they understand.

The second point stresses the perfectionist qualities we teach in band. The idea that in math, or social studies a grade of 95% gets an "A" and a smiley face from the teacher. Playing 95 out of 100 notes right in band, or even playing 100 out of 100 notes correct but with a technical mistake, or with poor tone, causes your band director to tell you to do again, and get it right.

The third point is close to the second, but on a group level. 300 members of the band, and one person makes a mistake. In practice all 300 get to do it over again so the one person can correct the mistake. In a contest the entire group of 300 are penalized for the mistake of one person. The success of the group depends on each individual , and the success of the individual depends on the group.

I stress the idea that only a fool talks bad about another kind of music. I love Jazz and Classical, but I also love Cajun and Hispanic music. My personal favorite kind of music is the Praise and Worship sound of today’s church music. I don't listen to what the kids listen to, but most of them do not listen to what I listen to on a regular basis. I try to teach them that in my kind of music there are great musicians, and I let them know that I respect the the talent of the musicians who play other types of music even though I may not listen to that type of music often.

So my point is that we must all be open to people who enjoy other kinds of music. We are playing a Jazz tune on our Christmas concert and a local professional Jazz quartet will be soloing in front of our little middle school band. My kids will be exposed to some mega fine musicians and the parents will probably love that tune much more than the harder ones we will perform.

I admire what you have come to admit -- that you love music, but not all music. I wish you the best in finding the place that you can enjoy both your trumpet, and the music you play.
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C - Harrelson 750 Modified Bach Strad
Picc - Schilke P5-4
Flugel - Kanstul ZKF1525
Bb - Bach Strad 180ML-37

"To be a teacher you need to be as good a performer as you can be: you'll have more to impart to your students musically." - John Haynie