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...and what did you play? Thread inspired by Maya's uber geekhotlitude by dressing up as Toad at a concert (?!).

I played trumpet from 4th grade until 10th grade but really never got all that good, although I was a decent marcher. I liked Field Shows a LOT more than Parade Marches.

P.S. -- brass rules!

I'm not sure if I'd count as a band geek, as I was strictly a jazzer in high school. In additon to being in two jazz groups, I am in a wind ensamble though, so I think that's close enough. Currently, I am in the process of learning to play percussion in that idom. (Snare, tympani, cymbals, bass drum, and so on.)

And PFC, if brass rules, why is it that everyone else wishes they could play percussion?

I played trombone for several years. Quickly rose to become lead trombonist at my high school my freshman year - although that in and of itself isn't worth too much since it was a fairly mediocre band program. Capped off with a couple of magnificent solo performances and the band presidency my senior year.

Did a little playing while I was at Oregon State, but after I left OSU I stopped playing because the comm. college I'm going to doesn't have a band and I'm really bad at motivating myself to practice alone.

I really, really miss band, and I'm going to do my damndest to try and get back into it once I transfer to Portland State.

I have more memories from band than can be shared in one post. Suffice to say most of the happiest moments of my life were in band.

I'm in band. Have been since 5th grade. I play Trumpet. I suck. Badly. I should practice more, I wan't to practice more, but I don't. So I continue to suck. Badly.

I've played trumpet for over 10 years now. I started in sixth grade, and played all the way through Middle School, I think I managed to hold on to the coveted "first chair" position throughout those years. I wasn't able to do so in high school, though I was still among the best. I attended Lassiter High School, which for those of you in the know has one of the finest high school band programs in the country. I marched for four years, including 1998 when we went to Grand Nationals and won with a score of 97.55, which has yet to be topped by anyone in the competition. The show we won the championship with is apparently sort of a legend amongst BOA buffs. Good times, I remember that year extremely fondly. I did symphonic band also and I really loved playing my trumpet in high school. Man, did I love it.

After I graduated high school in 2001 and went off to UGA I joined the Redcoat Band and stuck with it for all four undergraduate years, and all four victories over Georgia Tech (RAR!). I learned to love college football here. I played at my last football game 2 months ago, and I'll miss it intensely, especially the swank away game trips.

I doubt I'll ever play my trumpet again on a regular basis, which is a weird feeling. This has been a part of my life for so long that it's difficult to wrap my head around the fact that it's all over now.

I played Cello in the orchestra. Not too good at playing in a group, i prefer to solo with no one watching me.

I used to be a tromboner. Second chair in the school band.

trumpet since the 6th grade. Played 1st trumpet on the front line in my high school marching band and 1st trumpet, second chair in the concert band. I have even played in a few (admittedly seedy) nightclubs with some friends who had a rock/blues band a few years back. The band broke up just as i was learning their songs and was ready to play with them on a more regular basis and I really haven't played since.

Played flute for my first two years of middle school.

Jumped ship to violin for the second two.

Got to high school, and POOF! They don't have a band/orchestra. So I picked up guitar. And my guitar is my baby.

Percussion, oi vay!

I practiced a lot in elementary school and was decent for my experience. Middle school I hardly ever practiced and really didn't improve much. High school I again didn't practice much, but of all the 3rd trumpets (read: freshman) that didn't practice (I practiced ONCE by myself in 2 years), I was the best.

I quit after 2 years because, well, I never could drum up the motivation to practice alone and I hit a plateau in my skill. The fundamental problem was my embrasure (I think that's the right spelling). My playstyle was very unconventional; I used a lot of lower lip on the mouth piece and it limited my potential. High notes were harder for me because of this and I couldn't just up and change how I played after getting in such a bad habit over years of playing. Plus, I never did master flutter tongueing so those quadruplets were always impossible (well, I could use that bastard "air tongueing" method of inturrupting the flow of air to simulate different notes, although this sounds aweful and is terrible form in general). Triplets I could straight tongue if just. Also, it seems I never used enough air, as I was always told I played a bit quiter than the other trumpet players. I think at the time I could chalk this up to a lack of confidence but even when I worked up some because I was familiar with a piece of music, it seemed I just hit a lower ceiling than my peers. All I had going for me was I could read music better and I would usually que the other 2nd and 3rd trumpets when to come in (as they always lost count or beat or started rushing! AARRGGHH!)

I was not a rusher!

Wow, even without being one for long, the above proves how much of a band geek I was.

You guys'll love this:
http://www.blasttheshow.com/

Drum Corps: the stage show.

PFC Brungardt wrote:...and what did you play? Thread inspired by Maya's uber geekhotlitude by dressing up as Toad at a concert (?!).

Why thank you! I'm honored!

I play clarinet. If you want an explanation for that pic, we clarinets were playing a Super Mario Bros Medley at a concert. It became a huge production with everyone dressing up (though only I dressed as Toad) and a video being projected on a screen with the games being played completely sync-ed to our music. I have it on DVD and made it into an .avi file if anybody wants to see that display of band and gamer geekiness.


PS There's no "ass" in "woodwind"!

PPS Joe, to HELL with georgia!

SyntaxVorlon wrote:You guys'll love this:
http://www.blasttheshow.com/

Drum Corps: the stage show.

Yeah, I saw that live a few years back.

Flute, 6-10th, marching band the latter two of those years. Didn't have time for it after that, but that's okay, my school's band program went to pot the year after.

I learned to play the drums my 9th grade year just to join marching band my tenth. *bows, walks away with the cup*

I played baritone horn (some call it the euphonium) from grades 7 to 13. I was in the high school concert band for the last 3 years of that stretch, and though I eventually achieved a minimal level of competence, I was never a musician in the true sense.

I keep a trumpet around to practice on, though I can't play very well, since (a) I'm way out of practice, and (b) the mouthpieces are so different in size I can only hit the low registers.

I've been playing violin for nearly eight years now. I take private lessons, and I'm at the Grade 8 Royal Conservatory level. In junior high, I had the glory of the concertmaster's chair (lead first violin), and had a couple solos during those three years. In junior high, I had very little competition, so there were ample opportunities for me to show off teh mad skillz. Now, in high school, there's a couple of classmates that have me beat in playing, so I sit in the second row first violins, but I still have lots of fun playing with the numerous orchestras at the school. I also played in the pit orchestra for the school show for the past two years, and I'm hoping to ascend to the conductor's podium and hold the position of Music Director for next year's show.

Here's me playing some concerto with two kids at one of the summer camps where I volunteered last summer. I'm the tall guy in the middle.

Percussion 5th-current. I'm in drumline, and play tenors, or quints as some people call them. State champs in 8th grade, when I was in pit!

Clarinet in Jr High
Percussion in High school and at Marshal U.

Now, I'm learning the recorder for the SCA.

Yours Truly played t-bone from 5th grade all the way up til senior year. Joined marching band as a freshman and stuck with it all through high school.

Bass Clarinet all the way! Marched with it too.

I played percussion from 6th to 9th grade, and I was pretty damn good. In 7th grade I made 2nd chair All Parish, in 8th I made first. Going into high school I played in the marching band in 9th grade. In both 8th and 9th grades I played outside of school in the Louisiana Junior Youth Orchestra. In the 10th I left to pursue varsity football. It's been about ten years now since I was last involved with music.

I've played Horn since 5th grade, so about 10 years now. I'm a music ed. major currently, and enjoy the marching arts quite a bit.

I was in Magic of Orlando drum and bugle corps in 2003 season, I am currently in "The Cadets" drum and bugle corps and will be marching as a Cadet this season. I have been in the marching band at the University of Florida, the Basketball band and the Symphony Orchestra.

Also on the "Blast!" show, it really is amazing, saw it a couple times live, and own the DVD of their London premiere. I've had the wonderful oppurtunity to work with a few members and designers of "Blast!" If you've seen the DVD of it, or the broadcast on PBS a while back, if you remember the bald Fluegel Horn soloist (Ben Harloff), he was one of the instructors when I was in Magic. Also the writer of the "Battery Battle" sequence in "Blast!" (Thom Hannum) was a show designer.

Marksist wrote:I've played Horn since 5th grade, so about 10 years now. I'm a music ed. major currently, and enjoy the marching arts quite a bit.

I was in Magic of Orlando drum and bugle corps in 2003 season, I am currently in "The Cadets" drum and bugle corps and will be marching as a Cadet this season. I have been in the marching band at the University of Florida, the Basketball band and the Symphony Orchestra.

Cadets? As in the Cadets of Bergen County?