Band-geeks and ex Band-geeks, post here!

[MiniMandaRuth]

Share some stories. What instrument did you play? Did you ever like your instructors?

I started on Alto Sax but then I went to Bari Sax, and I'm now going into highschool. I'm the only female sax player in my district. My favorite story was this whole last year, actually. Our band instructor was a really sweet woman, but not very good at instructing. She just didn't have it. So the fact that all of us lived through it means that we're kind of bonded now.

[billyskank]

1. I used to be in a Big Band

You play baritone? Awesome! :yourock:

In my third year we managed to get ourselves sponsored by a brewery. :bounce:

[MiniMandaRuth]

4. Cool.

Yeah, I play Bari. There's only one other Bari player and he's in the 11'th grade. I'm very proud of myself. Someday I'll get my scanner going and post the picture of me with both my babies (My bari and alto)

[southpaw]

2. I was a drummer...

Marched with the varisty band for 5 years. Played multi-tenors: tris for the first three years, then we got new drums and I played quads for the last two.

I was actually the assistant section leader of the drum line the last two years.

I marched under 3 different instructors and liked them all to varying degrees.

[MiniMandaRuth]

6. Sweet.

My father is a major-drum-core nerd, so he's always trying to get me to go to the shows. I'll go someday.....

Good for you on the marching.

[Richardo]

3. Marching Band: Trumpet. Jazz Band: Trumpet. Orchestra: French Horn

Yes, I'm a triple band-geek. :patriot:

[MiniMandaRuth]

7. I did marching band on alto, jazz band as first chair alto,

and now I'm doing concert band (Hopefully) with bari.

Another triple band-geek.

[sakabatou]

5. I played trumpet and I like my instructors

There really are no stories.

[MiniMandaRuth]

8. There has to be something.

Every band geek has a story. Some way you got in trouble, a concert that went hay-wire, a cool solo you got.

You're just not thinking hard enough. :D You can remember!

[sakabatou]

11. Wel...

There was this one time where fellow band-mate slipped in the brass section.

[MiniMandaRuth]

13. Trippy.

(That was a bad pun. I think I should go do some Dobby-like punishment now. :o)

[DainBramaged]

9. Tuba, and I played it good, Sousaphone too

[MiniMandaRuth]

10. Tuba's are cool.

One of my friends got her arm stuck down her Sousaphone when some jack-ass threw a pen down there. She wasn't too happy about that. but it was funny to watch.

[Lars39]

12. Clarinet, played 5th grade thru freshmen in college.

Mostly 1st, 1st chair. Froze my ass off in christmas parades(12 degrees), got hailed on at band camp, dang near passed out in a wool uniform at the Disney World parade. Still have my Le Blanc. :D

[MiniMandaRuth]

14. Good times, huh?

Marching band was fun, except for when we had to march through Washington rain at 10 in the morning. Washington-style rain is not fun because it's misty, and it's freezing cold, and it has a habit of blowing right in your face, often up your nose. And we were behind horses and tractors, so we had bad fumes going up our nose. And we were stalled when one of the floats broken. And our instruments were all weird because of the temperature.

Oh, and the heat was broken when we got back on the bus, the heat was broken. That sucked too.

[Lars39]

19. All that sounds vaguely familiar...

One of the more memorable parades was being placed near a psycho-Santa that would aim to brain ya with the christmas candy. Crazy times. :D

[MiniMandaRuth]

24. Hmmmm.... Deadly candy-canes.

Sounds like fun. :D

[Lars39]

25. *Of course* we threw them back.

'twas the Season. O8) :D

[Iniquitous Bunny]

15. Not me, but let me share a story.

My daughter is starting high school in a few weeks too. She's been playing the sax since 4th grade. Like you, she started out on Alto Sax, but by 6th grade she got so good the she was put as section leader on the school Baritone sax. Anyway, she's now decided she doesn't like band. My worry is that she is afraid of "not looking cool". She's an honor student, plays basketball, and is one very assured young women overall, but most definitely one of the "popular girls" and I know this gets in the way of "the cool factor" in her perception. I can't make her (and if she's not into it I wouldn't want to try), but it kind of makes me sad. Hopefully, one her of little brothers will take up the sax.

Anyway, no real point, but it's nice to see you staying with this here. :)

[MiniMandaRuth]

17. I'm one of the popular girls at my school.

The popular girls like me because I talk to them when they need it, and the popular guys like me because I like sports and computers and stuff like that.

Band geekage is something to be proud of. :D That's why I love it so much. Just as long as she doesn't forget how to play the sax, she's still good. It's like a bicycle, once you learn, you never forget. (You just get bad)

[Iniquitous Bunny]

22. Maybe she'll take it up again in college.

She's so good, it feels like... a waste maybe. Sigh.... I was a drama/chorus geek (definitely geek)- the only reason anyone outside my group of friends knew I existed was because I was ... "built". :eyes:) Oh well, my 5th grader still plays the trumpet at least. :D

[supernova]

16. I played flute, MMR

:hi:

I loved being in band! :bounce: :bounce:

I was in the Concert Band, the Wind Ensemble, the Symphonic Band, and for extracurricular fun, I played in the Pep Band at Basketball games and also played in the orchestra for the spring musicals. :7

I really loved going to Band competitions where we won awards too. The only thing I didn't get to do was marching band. Mom thought I didn't have the stamina.

edit: I had two directors and loved both of them. They were very different people though.

Bob Haas was a professional musician long before he ran our music progam and he ran the music store in town from where a lot of kids bought their first instruments. (funny that) Anyway, He was still a professional while he taught us and in high school, some kids would even sneak some into his professional gigs, eventhough we were under age. (He ran a swing band.) I didn't though. I wasn't one of the cool kids. But he was mercurial, tough, thorough, passionate, and didn't put up with crap. I had him for 6th grade (when we started in the music program) and then again in high school. He also weighed something like 300lbs. To see him out on the football field was quite a sight.

Caleb Moore was and is a sweety. He's very kind and patient, also intelligent and passionate about music and every bit as professional as Bob was. I had him all through jr high. And with him we actually cut a record. :7

[MiniMandaRuth]

18. I'm doing marching band, pep band, and concert band this year.

I can't wait :)

[supernova]

20. Go have a ball!

:D

[Silver Swan]

21. Not a geek 1955-1964.

(Way back in the time I'm talking about, the word geek meant the guy in the side show that ate live lizards!)

I started band in fourth grade. Band was part of regular classes. We were a poor rural community, so no one took lessons to learn to play a band instrument--the band director taught everyone at once. The school started us in fourth grade to insure a supply of players for band when we reached high school. I played a cornet until sixth grade, when the director switched me to French horn because he felt it was a more feminine instrument. I was immediately promoted to junior band, which was mainly seventh and eighth graders, because they needed a French horn player.

I played French horn for concert band and alto horn in marching band through high school.

I don't recall any funny stories. Band was fun. I only had two different band directors in the nine years I was in band. Lately I've been thinking of joining a local community band. They say they will take anyone, even if you haven't played in decades, and they always need French horn players.

[ceile]

23. Bassoon n/t

[lizziegrace]

33. So there are two of us in the world?

:hi:

Bassoon in concert band and orchestra. Flute and Piccolo in marching band.

[Ava]

26. I played clarinet

until i started homeschooling. :P

[Smudge]

27. I play Alto Sax, Flute...

and a little Trumpet.

I'm only doing Marching Band this year :cry: Last year I did Marching and Concert Band and was in the pit for our school's musical.

Um... I'm assistant section leader. Band Geeks Rule!

[Aristus]

28. I'm the ultimate band-geek; I played the tuba. It doesn't get geekier

than that. My ultimate geeky accomplishment? Holding the position of first-chair tuba for five, count 'em, five years. From eighth grade through Senior year. Our tuba sections never had fewer than three guys. So its not like I had no competition.

[hfojvt]

30. it gets way geekier than that

for example, a guy who plays flute or clarinet. That used to make some waves.

To carry a tuba though, you gotta be pretty sturdy, although I knew a little guy who did it in college.

[Gormy Cuss]

29. I was caught smuggling a flask of 'refreshments' into the stadium.

The weather was nasty, temps well below freezing and windy. A nip in the hot chocolate really did warm things up a bit. Playing in the band at football games helped me develop a lifelong aversion to that sport.

At that time I was playing clarinet but band was only a means to stay in orchestra (all the string players were required to "cross train" for the band.)

On a band trip we smuggled an illegal alien into Canada. She was a foreign exchange student and had no visa for the Great White North. We had to smuggle her back into the U.S. too.

on edit: don't get any ideas about that flask thing. I was in deep doggie-do because of that stunt.

[hfojvt]

31. too bad I did not see this thread before I posted

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x5516260#5516272

I feel so redundant.

Plus I know we had a thread like this about a year ago.

[GalleryGod]

32. Cousin Brucie was a Band Geek