 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: blunderburtonpie
Date: 2004-11-27 22:36
hey this topic may be a bit odd and a little off of a strictly clarinet type of thing, but i was wondering how many of you are like me. i mean how many of you have questioned yourself with what band is about? would you rather be part of a band that succeeds, and reaches great heights, or one that you feel more love from? i'm facing a real problem like that right now, the people i love are at one school, and i'm at another and i just dont feel right there, but our band is great and we'll accomplish way more than the other school....so it all boils down to what you want from band, is it the feeling, or the achievement?
blunderburtonpie@aol.com
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Author: hans
Date: 2004-11-27 22:58
Chris,
A balance of the "feeling" and the "achievement" would be nice.
Maybe if you can be patient and give it a little time to develop, you will have a rewarding relationship with the "great" band too.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-11-27 23:13
A balance would be best. I had a great time in band. Made some great friends (some of which are still very good friends till this day, 8 years later, which is an accomplishment given different schools and whatnot). However we weren't that great and I always wished that we had played some better music. I know our instructor would have loved to, but a lot of people there either didn't care or just couldn't do it.
I'm not sure, but it looks like you might be considering sacrificing a good band for good companionship. Try not to sacrifice one for the other, but instead try to make some more connections in your already good band. Then you'll have the best of both worlds.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: claclaws
Date: 2004-11-27 23:19
What if you join both? I'm not aware of your situation and probably sound stupid, but I believe one just can't feel happy in the humanly unfriendly environment, nor in the musically lousy group. The best I can think of, is making the latter one improve as much as you can so that it can aim for bigger achievement...
Lucy Lee Jang
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Author: blunderburtonpie
Date: 2004-11-27 23:33
well i guess i could strive for better connections in the band i have, but is it possible to be in two high school bands at once??? if so i'd love to know how, i'd give anything to be in both bands....by the way i'm in high school, guess that's kind of a shock since most of you (i'm assuming) are in college...but i really love band so i had to join a site like this, it's great!
blunderburtonpie@aol.com
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Author: SuzyQ
Date: 2004-11-28 01:03
Blunderburtonpie,
I'm a highschooler too...there are quite a few highschooler on this board, so you're not alone. Welcome to the bboard!
Can't really give any advice. I'm kind of in the same situation; I LOVE my band so much and I'm deeply attached to my band director and fellow students. However I am becoming more and more aware of how truly awful we do sound. :-(
....So, I take private lessons! --I go to the band I love and get "the feeling" and go to private lessons to really make myself work and feel like I'm "achieveing" something. Ofcourse, I realize private lessons aren't like being in a band, but I learn 10 times more in lesson that band; that's for sure!
Maybe you already take private lessons, I don't know. Just another aspect, though it doesn't really solve your delima. :-)
SuzyQ
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Author: Camanda
Date: 2004-11-28 01:16
I'm lucky that I play with an excellent band, in both the sound and the people. These are my best friends; they are also the finest musicians I've ever worked with. My director is also a wonderful person. Yes, we have our share of musical slackers, and our share of people who are not so much "people people", but on the whole, I could never ask for a better high-school group to work with.
If you have more than one band in your school, it should be possible to do both unless there's a scheduling conflict. I play soprano clarinet for myself in the Advanced Band (the aforementioned group), and I play bass clarinet to lend a hand in the lower band, which is far less closely-knit and not as musically inclined. I'd like those kids to share what we do in the higher band, more than anything, because it's what keeps a lot of people in the music program and gets them to want to be the best that they can.
Short of multiple bands in school, I say check around and see if there are any community groups that you could play with. Ask your band director about that. If you are taking private lessons, ask your teacher; if you aren't taking private lessons, start -- it's a nice change from the ensemble, when you need the change. It might even be possible to play with another high school's band -- they don't usually need clarinet players, but that bass clarinet thing has helped me out that way. Welcome to the board!
Amanda Cournoyer
URI Clarinet Ensemble, Bass Clarinet
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Author: blunderburtonpie
Date: 2004-11-28 02:00
thanx, all of you had some great input, i like the private lessons idea, i'll have to get private lessons just to play the clarinet (i'm just starting) but as far as my French Horn goes, i'm known at my school for my playing ability compared to my experience so if my director finds out that i even know what a private tutor is then he's gonna go crazy on who to hire and how often to take lessons (i'm asking my best friend's director we're in different schools)
again thanks for all your imput yaw had some really good things to say!
blunderburtonpie@aol.com
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-11-28 02:10
If a band is of poor quality, you're unlikely to get much satisfaction from it. So you want to do everything you can to make your band the best. If there is a problem in how people get along (intense rivalries, etc.) can do a lot to diffuse that--particularly if you are one of the better players.
In music ensembles, your closest rival is your best friend in a lot of ways. My advice is to be the best player you can, and set an example for those who are under your influence.
Allen Cole
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Author: Neil
Date: 2004-11-28 02:18
I suggest you put your energy into your present school's band. Success in life requires moving forward, not looking back. I gather from your post that you haven't had any negative experiences with your schools band, just a lack of positive reinforcement. The fact that this band is very good is heartening, people in successful organizations tend to get along better than those in failure-prone groups. It may be uncomfortable being a newcomer but keep your head up and do your best. Similar situations will present themselves again and again in life (new jobs, new neighborhoods, new cellblocks...). If your schedule allows it, definitely play in other groups such as community or church bands but you really need to give your school's band a chance. Like it or not, that is your school.
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Author: Contra
Date: 2004-11-28 02:37
There are two reasons I joined band and have stayed in it for the past four years. #1: I enjoy making music and #2: I have fun doing #1. If I wasn't having fun, I wouldn't do it. And since we got new directors, the fun of making music is the only reason I'm staying in.
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