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So i made section elader this year, but im kind of nervous.

my concerns:
-y section went to the dogs this past season. Its the end of the year and one person doesn'te ven know how to read music, and he only knows one scale. He is the worst case, but he got no help from our previous section elader. Me and the other to-be-junior tried to help him this concert season and he is making progress, but that is only one person. How will i be able to fix a whole section?

-I don't really know how to run a proper sectional, or hwo foten to. My freshan year we had an awesome sl and our director had a schedule of what section ahd sectionals what day,a nd they had them once a week. Last year, he stopped that, so we never had sectionals...But to fix the section, im not sure how often to have sectionals or what to do in them...

-how can i motivate my section more? They are very...careless

-One kid, the one who can't read music, says he won't listen to me. what if he isn't the only one? I know he is joking around, but what if he doesn't, and what if nobody else does?

Ease into a strictness. Like, be fun and encouraging towards the beginning of the season, but get on people if they're not doing what they're supposed to. Eventually, if you're able to, assign group PMUs to encourage the section to look out for each other.

Have patience when teaching those who can't really play. Make sure they *mostly* get their music, and woodshed during sectionals.

As far as sectionals go, ask everyone what day after school they're free (at least the majority of the section), and have sectionals there. Run through basics and woodshed the music. Maybe do a mini memorization test. Conditioning is pretty fun too (that's what we did my freshman year).

If nobody listens, then you might wanna talk to the BD or a fellow SL or DM. They'll probably have some leadership tips for you. :]

It also doesn't hurt to look into what local band leadership camps there are.

-y section went to the dogs this past season. Its the end of the year and one person doesn'te ven know how to read music, and he only knows one scale. He is the worst case, but he got no help from our previous section elader. Me and the other to-be-junior tried to help him this concert season and he is making progress, but that is only one person. How will i be able to fix a whole section?

I had the exact same worries my Junior year when I made Clarinet section leader. It's a daunting task, but few rise to the occasion...many turn into section leaders that, as you said, let things go to the dogs.

1. (I'll be weird and start at the bottom) There are always people who will not listen to you. It's not something you can always fix. When I was SL, I had a hard time because our band was so small that the director combined the Flutes and Clarinets...the Flutes didn't want to listen to me...especially the Sophomore because in her opinion, Clarinet players as SL's are horrible...but anyways, my point is, you won't always be able to reach everybody. So don't worry. Just do your best and make sure to make yourself sound affirmative, confident, and mean what you say. It helps.

2. Motivate your section with rewards...my Junior year, we had a points system at Band Camp...the worst section (each bad act made your section container lose a chip and the opposite for good behavior) was to be pelted with balloons or given push ups (we were lucky with balloons). Use rewards and punishment. If they don't listen to you, make them do push-ups (or any other form of torture you can think of). When they do listen to you, do what you say, and perform well, reward them with candy, complements, or anything you can think of. You can also motivate the entire section by making them all do push-ups if one person screws up, but I don't like that whole, "the group acts together" sort of motif, so use it only as a last resort.

3. Sectionals should be once a week, maybe twice when you have competitions or performances come up. I admit, scheduled sectionals make things easier, but you need to make sure you schedule them on days when your entire section can show up. I'm currently a Booster/Alumni for my high school band (until I get into my college >>) and I must say, a section that doesn't have sectionals often tend to slack. I love my band, but the woodwind section certainly could have held a few more sectionals instead of once a month. When you run a sectional, just pretend it's another rehearsal, just more personal and one on one with the people in your section. Go over all of your music, make sure to go over the hardest parts by slowing them down and eventually working them faster until you get them up to speed, tune your section (especially off of each other; it's how I learned to recognize when I'm out of tune), and go over anything you feel is important. Warning: some people see sectionals as an opportunity to goof off, so your skills at keeping people on task are needed here.

4. Every band has somebody who is a little behind the rest...I helped a Freshman like that last year...now, he's playing Bari for the jazz band. Sad thing was, only me and one other person were willing to help him. I give you kudos for helping the other kid out; a lot of people would give up. Everybody works at their own pace; some learn faster, some learn slower. You need to learn how the people in your section work (obviously works with a small section). Also, you can't always fix every little thing wrong with someone in your section; they might need to go to a drum major or the director for further help. Don't forget about them; they're their to help, not just to give you stuff to do.

I wish you luck as a Section Leader and I have faith that you will do a good job; your dedication to help a student learn music and your willingness to learn leadership qualities as a SL will help you along the way :3 Let me know how it goes for you.

Thanks for the advice guys!

Since I last posted, the freshman who auditioned for section elader has decided she hates me, even though I've been nice to her since i met her. At first it was a silent hate that I only knew about because I had freshman insiders who had overheard her talking about how much she hated me to another freshman. Now she has started displaying it in class.
First,s he commented about how its not fair I got first chair seat in the lwoer band because I was playing lower parts because we were playing the same music in both band and we only had two people on first. She said she should get first chair spot because she had all first parts. I just told her it didn't really matter where we sat and she shut up.
Today, she stole my spot as I was about to sit down. the first chair spot, which kind of ticked me off, but I ignored it, because like I said, sitting spots don't matter. well, we weresharing music, which just happened to be my own music, and she had the stand way off to her side where I couldn't see. So I move it. She moves it right back. I'm kind of like "uh, okay." I just dismiss it as she coudln't see it. So I just tilt the stand a bit so I can at least read half of it. she tilts it back. So by now I'm pretty ticked off. when i look at her, she has a smartalic smirk on her face. I ak her if we can move the stand and she ignores me.
Later I overhear her talking to her friend about the whole thing, alughing about how I couldn't see the music and kept messing up.

I'm tempted tot ell the bd, but I'm not sure if that would do anything. I also don't want to talk to her about it because I think that is exactly what she wants. I know her well enough to know that she acts like this and then makes it worse if yout alk to her. I've seen it hapen to our current sl. So, any advice on how I can keep her in line without actually telling her off?(i don't want to be mean to her and make her hate me more)

Yea, so ... I'm a freshman about to be a sophomore and I tried out for section leader today. I'm goin up against an about to be Junior. I doubt I'll get and I'm starting to wonder if I really want to get it. crying Here's why:

Last marching band season flutes didnt have a leader so i have no one to try and copy off of. I dont know the 1st thing about teaching people to better their selves at playing when Im REALLY still learning myself. Escpecially at marching, which I suck at. Also, I live in a really small apartment and I dont have room for all those people. I have no where to put about 10 flautists. What should I do? question What am I going to do if I get it? I cant just go up to my teacher and say "OOPs, I changed my mind. I don wanna do it." because what if later I really want to do it? He wont pick me because he'll think Im unreliable. Trueth is, I just never really thought this out. HELP!!! gonk

That is how I'm feeling, moreso last year when I sucked badly at marching, though I'm not planning on quitting.


so far, to help myself, I've been practicing my hardest. I spent most of my summer practicing my marching. i would take my dog for a walk to the park everyday and practice rollstepping on the way. I would put a metronome in my pocket and use it as a tempo marker. Metronomes help. a lot.

Also, memorize all your scales. This helps more with playing though. Before I memorized my scales, I was really bad at sightreading and at marching and playing together. Once I got my scales down, I foudn that only extremely hard rythyms messed me up, even the first time playing a piece. At this point, my director usually only has to ask me to play a difficult part once, whereas he has to ask everyone else to do it a few times before they get it right.

for marchign and playing, play your scales while marking time. Mess around with half notes, eighth notes and qurter notes. Maybe even some whole notes. Use a metronome to keep in tempo, and then challenge yourself with different rythyms. Make it difficult for you to do, though not so dificult it woul be impossible.

As for the small apartment thing: Hold sectionalss and such at school. thats what we do. We rarely hold sectionals at our houses. If you think you have it bad with a small apartment, my family is in the process of moving. we don't know where we are goign to rent a house yet, and so far we are leaning towards one an hour away. Definately hard to hold sectionals way otu in the middle of the desert.(at this point I will be going to my current school. I refuse to switch schools after working so hard to get my position. unfortunately though, my mother is trying to convince me otherwise, because it would be an hour drive eery morning if we take this house we are looking at. Im searchign personally for closer places)


wow, i made this to hep myself, but it seems to be helping everybody. BonusXD