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Lol. Its like your reading my mind.
I really HATE the sound of short staccatos, and I was just playing them half length notes. She actually told me to redo some bars and make the staccatos EXTRA short. ... I think my tone is better than they're fog hornissimo. And I knew that SOME of the staccatos were very important, for example, there is a staccato right after a teneuto, so, obviously one would tongue said note. Instead of playing properly: "bah dup" They played it: "Biiyah" So.... And they were playing at like a ff when the piece clearly called for a mf.
And thanks for assuming I suck? Like "butchered staccato?" ouch? Anyway, I prefer pretty slurs over staccatos too, but that is the opposite of what the piece called for.

As for my tone? The music in my band last year was so easy. I didn't practice the piece itself much, I simply practiced my tone. (of course I put some time into the music pieces though)

One thing that MIGHT have caused her to take them was that I played it too fast. I listened to multiple different bands on youtube and stuff to get the feel for this song, and they played it at a brisk pace. However, she wanted us to play it a lot slower. So I kept speeding up.
When my audition finished, and theirs started, she rushed out to get them a metronome.
Oh ya... that's fair?

Its like you're explaining the other people. I even pointed out what I did wrong in the audition.... so.... I didn't claim to do it perfectly. And I'm not the one who is cocky in my section. When I first joined band, (3 months late) the BD put me on second because she thought I would need some time getting used to band. This guy would always say in a carrying voice things like. "Oh ya, the FIRST SAX part is sooo hard." So I'd ask to see it, and he'd say, "NO! you can't play it, you're second!" And when I DID play it, (And I was the first one to get it) he yelled out: Ya, nobody cares!" And ever since I got switched to first he's hated me. I think he can't handle that someone may be better than him. Like, you don't hate someone for no reason, and he didn't hate me until I got switched to first and could play at sight reading what he needed to practice.
And when I play in band, I play really quietly at warm-up if I'm one of the only people there. I'm VERY shy about my art stuff. And when this guy comes in, he blasts out stuff to show off, and then if I start playing the song he was, he glares over at me. So.... I think that someone else is "cocky."

And YES my band director has favourites, are you kidding me? And the whole band knows it. For example, anyone in Jazz band is her favourite. No matter what. This girl would have been kicked out of band,. or at least spoken to many times. She always challenged the BD, and then one day, she said. "So... say we didn't practice for like.. 4 weeks? Can we make up for that with a long practice session in one night?" And yet, she still liked her. Guess what! She was in jazz band. *gasp*
Another thing, she favourites all the suck ups. There's this girl on clarinet, and she's AMAZING! (Shes not my friend so this is not biased) She was making a beautiful sound on a FOUR reed. Yes a FOUR. And she could play notes, in tune, octaves higher than other clarinets. But the teachers favourite clarinet wasn't as good. He couldn't play the high notes in tune, and the girls tone was better. Not to mention he didn't use a 4 reed. But.... he's the favourite, why? BECAUSE HE PLAYS A DIFFERENT INSTRUMENT IN JAZZ BAND!
And guess what, she hated all the flutes, or at least didn't have any favourites in that section. Oh.... were they in Jazz band? NO!
And her two mega-favourites were talking all class one day, and then someone on the other side of the room whispered something to the guy beside him, something about the music, and she went full out yelling at them. She even kicked one out. All the while her favourites are talking and laughing at the other side of the room, even playing with waterbottles, balancing them on their heads and stuff. And she said NOTHING to them at all. I was aghast when I saw them talking during other peoples' playing tests.
And about how I was a little annoyed that all the grade 12s got auto first, I'm not saying I'm better than them, (I can only ever hear the one that plays too loud) But it hurts when someone with a better part than you is TEXTING in band class.
And how I annoy the whole band? No.
We had a saxophone solo in a song (for once. lol) and I was able to play it on the second day we got it. With good tone and everything. Everyone in band kept telling me. "You should play the solo, you play it really well." I was too shy to ask the BD, so I just played it when she was around, and she ignored me each time. A month later, low and behold, someone else finally learns it, and they play it ONCE and the BD says: STOP EVERYTHING! OMG! I THINK WE HAVE A SOLO!!" And the whole band was like: wtf? But (insert my real name here) played it better.
And they kept coming up to me and telling me that I should have played it. And that he doesn't play it as good as me. (He DID always mess up in it) And guess what? HE WAS IN JAZZ BAND!!
And there's no favoritism there? Please.

And me? Cocky? I'm the least cocky person in the band. (Well probably not, at least compared to the people who auditioned and got in because they were in it last year) I need to say my mark for explanation purposed.
This girl came out of the music room, and started bragging about how she got a 96 in music. "Yeppp I got a 96!" While she was bragging, I COULD have told her what mark I got.... but I didn't, and I'm pretty sure NO ONE in the band knows. The only people I told were my parents and my really good friend (She doesn't go to my school.) And when all the jazz band kids go around and brag about how they got a 94, and a 96. I feel no need to tell them that I got a 98. I'll leave that for the award ceremony when I get the music award and they all gasp in shock.

Exactly.
I'm not the only person who hates this guy on saxophone. The one that got in jazz band.... (bla bla bla)
A LOT of people in the band hate him... BECAUSE HE THINKS HE'S THE BEST! He always plays really loud, and he's mean to people. And if someone says his name, people will go "Omg, I hate that kid!" He thinks he's the best when seriously, he's not at all.
And,,, the jazz band is made up of people who think they're the best. (Not everyone, the nicest person I know is in jazz band) but generally, everyone thinks that they're gawds gift to the band. One class, the BD said, "Lets hear the jazz band play. The rest of you pack up." And me, being one of the only people that gets excited for band rehearsal and even music class, was obviously alone in wanting to keep playing.
So... the jazz band starts, and there is ONE alto sax. He played SO loud that I couldn't hear anyone else playing (Not even the trumpet)
The band already had an immensely cocky person, so IF IF IF IF IF IF IF that was my case, it wouldn't have mattered then would it have?

Thanks. biggrin
Its okay. I don't mind. xP

Maybe.
But ya, I don't want to be in it. If I had known there were only 2 spots, I wouldn't have even bothered. Two other people auditioning were her favourites last year, and apparently this year too. Its just weird.
Last year, there were 3 altos, and she said she only had 2 spaces this year.
There was a grade 10 and 2 grade 9s last year. My theory is that she didn't want to split the two up, and she couldn't deny the older one, because he was obviously better. So now that they're the oldest, she can do with 2 spots, she doesn't want anyone else. (Its a grade 9/10 band)
That's a fun idea.
I wouldn't be able to handle another year with her anyway, the grade 10,11,12 teacher is A LOT better and less biased.
If I'm still going to my school next year, (I might audition for that other school) I'll audition for the senior jazz band. I know that she is fair. And besides, harder music is more fun. The jr. band audition piece was kinda easy, I learned it in one session. (As did a lot of people).

I have a question. How hard is a grade 6 band song? 'Cause the school I might want to go to plays level 6.
And also, the school's grade 9 and 10s play level 4, and the 11s and 12s play level 6.
I play level 4 now.
What level audition material should I go with. I would like to try 6, but it would probably be too hard. I could, most likely, learn a level 5 by February (the auditions) but I don't know if it would be good enough.
Although.... they're grade 10s play level 4. So.... would a 5 be good? (They probably play 5 in their separate music class though)

Okay. Thanks. I'll youtube it.
Oh, I thought you were supposed to start out slow.
Okay. biggrin I started in grade 7 though. xP
I could ask the teacher for an exercise book, but I think all we have are like grade 3 exercise books.
Maybe my friend might have one.

We're playing Bayou Breakdown in band right now. It's a really fun piece. For me, it's not too hard, but only because it's fun to play. I learned that entire piece in one session. smile That's not a bad audition piece for you. I'm pretty sure that you could learn it and play it well in a few weeks. (I'm not entirely sure of your playing ability, but bayou breakdown can be played very well if one worked on it.) And even if it is a grade 4, if you play it right, it can sound way better than a grade 6.

I play alto, tenor, and Bari. Though Bari is definitely my favorite, but I play tenor in concert and pep band. I play Bari for everything else.

you're right, it sounds like bayou breakdown took the main melody right out of molly on the shore and changed it up a bit. i searched it on google, the arrangement we played(which was written for the military band) is between a grade 5-6. it's a fairly long piece with the melody jumping around from section to section, but usually the clarinets are at least sharing the melody with something else. what i heard of bayou breakdown(i listened to about half) was mostly the same melody the entire time, with people joining and leaving the melody. it didn't seem like the notes changed very often for each section when they were playing it, in molly on the shore it jumps octaves and changes modes and what not. that might be the difference between them. if not, correct me.

here is the best recording i could find on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzymYYCfdew&feature=related

I don't really like the molly one as much.
I like bayou breakdown because its a tad Japanese-ish, don't you think?
I don't know, I just think it sounds cleaner too.
Don't know how to explain it.