Marching Band Problems

If you're a band geek and proud, this is the blog to follow. Home of your customary band-related issues.

[bandgeeksknowit]

[bandgeeksknowit]

sheet music: ppp

trumpets: *sweats nervously*

[composerinprogress]

when you’re given an impossible piece of music

[penny-anna]

the fellowship discuss musical instruments

[kappasquirrel]

Is this… grand theft alto?

[kappasquirrel]

How did this get 176 notes?

[kappasquirrel]

I guess music puns just might be my forte.

[bandgeeksknowit]

Slowly panicking because I had a very rare good day in band where I made little to none mistakes and I was perfectly in tune in the music so the band director gave me the two flute solos and I know it will never happen again that it was fleeting moment of pure perfection that I will never achieve again

Not sure if you’re looking for advice or not, but in case you are:

Rise up to the challenge!  Even if you don’t believe it, that fleeting moment of greatness did come from somewhere; it shows that you are capable, you just have to believe in yourself.  Take this as an opportunity to be the best you can be.  Your director is unreasonable if he expects perfection every time.  

[the-memedaddy]

Meirl

[bandgeeksknowit]

honestly i find the poker chip/chalk thing so confusing like, we practice on a concrete lot with yard lines and hashes and all, and we just put our dots on pieces of duct tape on the ground with whatever instrument and the number instrument we are (like H3 = Horn 3) along with the page number. we use different colors of tape for the movements too. is that unusual?

We did the same things in my band.  Obviously I can’t speak for other bands but I imagine most others are similar. 

[bandgeeksknowit]

At the beginning of marching season I always forget the one thing I hate about marching contest season: the lack of sleep. It kills everyone, yet we come back each year.

You have to enjoy suffering somewhat for this activity 

[bandgeeksknowit]

Stereotype for synth players/electronics in pitt?

[bandgeeksknowit]

So I have region in 2 days and I'm really stressed about it. Do you have any tips about dealing with stress?

Practice, tea, naps, snacks, listening to show music, over all just taking very good care of yourself while regularly refreshing your memory about the upcoming performance a reasonable amount.  You don’t know what’s going to happen, so there’s no logical reason to be afraid.  Worrying only  makes you suffer twice.

[bandgeeksknowit]

Help,, I am just a tiny female mallet player and I have a mAJOR CRUSH on a senior colorguard girl. How do I tell her... ., , do I seducti vly lay on the m arimba an d play carele.ss wh isper,, , ,,,? ??

superb idea 

[bandgeeksknowit]

Okay, I'm a snare in my marching band and we've had the same center snare for the past 2 years with insanely good, on director level skills. And next year he'll be gone and I'll be the the only upperclassmen snare player and center. I'm not terrible, but I'm not perfect, and certainly not on the skill level of our previous center snare. I don't have the ability to look at a piece of music and immediately get it and next year the freshman will be looking at me for what to do, help?

Don’t compare yourself to the previous center.  There’s nothing wrong with coming in at a different skill level.  If you hold yourself to unreasonable expectations, you’ll be your own worst enemy.

Have confidence in your own abilities, keep practicing, and don’t waste time or energy comparing yourself to others.

[bandgeeksknowit]

so we got our chair placement for concert season and im last chair trumpet now. Thing is though apparently im the one who practices the most out of our section but yet they're still higher chairs than me

Shit happens.  Don’t focus too much on your chair placement.  Hone that negative energy into being the best trumpet player you can be.

If it’s really bothering you, and you feel comfortable with reaching out to your director, then feel free to ask him for some input or tips for improvement.  Don’t, like, ardently DEMAND an explanation.  Frame it in such a way that you want to utilize his observations to make yourself better.  

If you feel you’re currently giving it your all, or that you deserve the higher placement, then, again, don’t worry about it.  It’s useless to be preoccupied over things you can’t control.

[bandgeeksknowit]

Eyyy the freshman tubist is back again! I learned recently that there will be a senior marching with mr this year, but now I'm nervous again because I can't make band camp and the other tubist is getting worried about me falling behind. How can I prepare for marching band if I can't make band camp. Thanks so much, you're the best! :)

Keep in touch with your director and make sure you’re getting the music and drill sheets, either through a friend delivering them to you or through email.  Go over them for at least fifteen minutes every day and still try to find time to practice on your instrument, despite not being around the rest of the band.  If it’s available, download the song tracks and listen to them in your spare time, tuning in especially to your section’s parts.

[bandgeeksknowit]

Okay so I met my entire section at band camp (bass section) for the first time and now I'm in a group chat with them. It's me, a freshman, and two seniors. Do you think it's appropriate to send memes to them?

Memes are always appropriate 

[clavicusvilemoved]

Okay so it seems like people will call any mallet percussion instrument a xylophone and I’m here to teach you shit.

This is a xylophone. The wood part is thick and it’s high pitched.

This is a marimba. It’s huge and expensive. No like a small one costs over $4,000 (3186.20 euros). The key things are really long and thin.

Now do you see this beautiful instrument? This is called the vibraphone motherfuckers. Or just the vibes. Anyways it sounds amazing. I could marry the sound. Basically, it;s made of metal and you have a pedal to stop it from ringing too long.

This is the glockenphejksdfjkl. I have no idea how to spell it, so lets just call it the orchestral bells. If you hit this shit too loud it can burst your eardrums. 

These are a joke.

[sangurex]

I live how angry op is

[daisenseiben]

Sure are a lot of xylophones on this post.