|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:07 pm
So, I'm currently in the Marching Band as well as the school's Wind Ensemble. We are gnerally known for the extra curricular bands like Jazz Band and Show Band ( Check them out www.myspace.com/chspg ) ... At the start of my Freshman year, the beloved band director retired... So, they were forced to find someone, fortunately, my junior high band director stepped up, so we weren't given some stranger... He has been with my class since seventh grade, and now I'm going into Junior year.
So, I ended the year by trying out for drum major, and I was up against 6 other people. Ultimately, only two juniors tried out, myself included, and the position was filled with seniors. However, out of everyone, because of my AWESOME luck, I was the only one not given any leadership position. Drum Major, wasn't my main priority, but not getting Captain was pretty depressing.. Anyway, so that's how I started off the incoming Band Season, just being another guy amongst the Marching Band, and I also have to deal with the fact that out of the two drum majors chosen, ONE of the them doesn't even WANT it...
It was just recently found out that the district pressured our Band Director to back to the Middle School, thus leaving his position open for High School, however he opted out to just quit, and move to another district. So now, I'm left positionless, and the band is left directorless... Great way to start off the year, no?
Basically, if you've finished my little rant, here comes the question portion... Has anyone else's band hit such a large road-bump, and have you recovered from it? Honestly, I'm at a loss, since Band was really one of my few extra curricular activities, and with that gone, I'm probably gonna end up going into school politics, which while it's very rewarding academically, it's incredibly boring and more stressful.. So yeah, any advice?
-Teeky
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:23 pm
The band I work for did several years ago when an inexperienced director took over. Luckily, the director was able to keep two of the most amazing techs I've ever met and there are a lot of parent volunteers, some of which have been there for a very long time (through two previous directors). I'm still in the top 5% of volunteers for lasting longest. Those of us who've been around have slowly been dragging the newer parents along and helping the new staff with their learning curves. That's really what it takes. Motivate your parents to get involved with the marching band. You have your parents ears and if your parents are involved in the organization, then you can get some of your ideas heard and possibly implemented. Set up a formal group of parent volunteers besides the band boosters - our band has several... the largest and most successful of which is the pit crew. Those parents drive to and from every show, take charge of instruments, flags, props, the drum majors' podiums, and all the percussion equipments. Their favorite parts of the job are the potluck dinners they organize to hold in the parking lot while the band warms up (band tailgating) and their job of getting the pit equipment on and off the field. They also do odd jobs like arranging the construction of non-cloth parts of any props we use (the colorguard's staff does the fabric parts). If your parents can't get involved, you can still make your own way if you're willing to devote more time to band. You can volunteer any skills you have or offer to help (and learn) any volunteers that are already helping the band - especially in making props, flags, or guard uniforms. Try not to get hung up on the formal band ranks and definately don't spend all season hating that you were passed over becuase that will just make band not as fun. There are always jobs to do outside of the section leaders and drum majors positions. What about librarians (especially for concert and jazz bands)? You'd have to keep track of the music library, hand out parts, make photocopies of music, chew people out for loosing their music, etc. Some directors also delegate the oversight of school instrument inventories to a student. That job involves keeping a log of instruments and making sure that the director keeps track of who he or she signs instruments out to, keeping files of forms that students sign when they take the instruments, knowing where each unused school instrument is in storage, knowing which ones need repairs, and that sort of work. There's plenty of work, especially when a director is new to the group, so I'm sure that if you wanted, you could either find an open position or find odd jobs you could do.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 11:20 pm
My whole band experience was one giant road bump. I happened to join at a pretty rough time.
Eighth Grade:
-The guy who was our middle school band teacher was the assistant director, and was supposed to be prepping us to go into marching band. However, he quit and took a job at his father's school, when his father retired. He didn't do much to get us ready for band.
Freshman Year:
-Director who had been there for a good while quits and takes a job working for a college band. We get a new director who was a holy roller from a nearby conservative university, who also was not a music ed major but instead was a performance major. She planned boring shows and got offended that people wanted to hear things more interesting than The Firebird Suite and Pictures at an Exhibition at football games.
Sophomore Year:
-Holy Roller leaves, we get a new director. The upperclassmen get pissed off and grumble during practices because the guy is tough and a little mean. He makes practice longer and more often, but in the end it pays off since the band starts really coming together and putting together some awesome stuff.
Junior Year:
-Guy is still there, but the parents get upset that he won't grant them the kind of control they want. They get even more outraged that he dared suggest we go on a less expensive trip, in favor of spending the money on choreographers, drill writers, arrangers, and instrument repairs. Basically, the parents wanted a cheap trip and used their kids to get it. Alot of behind the scenes stuff in the Boosters starts going down, and some pretty bad s**t happens (mostly revolving around one family).
Senior Year:
-Director gets asked to step down, despite how well the band was doing and how much we were loved at halftime. The assistant director takes over the position, despite not honestly wanting it, and we get another Holy Roller working for us as his assistant. She worked as the elementary music education teacher, while she's a nice lady...she was NOT fit to work with teens who were extremely frustrated and trying to salvage something from a messed up program. I get mutinied by a bitchy group of eighth grade girls, and neither one does anything to support me (other than step in and help mediate). When the mutiny ends and we try to get a girl kicked out who was dragging the section down, we get no support beyond "deal with it". Students get pissed off at the various policies and bullshit that the assistant director instates, since the director wasn't doing much.
I went back that summer and they had a new director who has been there for three years now. Both former directors are backing her up and are giving her lots of help, so it's good to see that things are getting back to normal.
My rant is just showing the bullshit I went through, and my band got past it. You guys will recover too, one way or another, it just may not be while you're there. Getting past the bump is a slow process, but it happens.
Just a tip, try doing college band if you're going to college, or coming back and getting involved with your old one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:48 am
I'm about to start marching band at my school. So I had my first rehearsal with them last Thursday. Mrs. Long, my band director, passed out our music and we just played through it. Well, what I'm getting at is that she's leaving. She's not even staying for band camp. So the two middle school band directors are helping the assisstant band director (who nobody likes) with band camp while the school looks for a head director.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:30 am
That was depressing. My story is kind of similar. Our band director quit because of drama issues with other parents. My freshman year, we were pretty good on parade. Almost all the competitions we went to, we scored third or higher. And at finals, we placed first in auxiliary and second overall. Our band director promised that the next year would be even better (we were starting our first year in field). She promised us that we would grow in numbers. Only that was a big lie. She had already quit and was working until the end of the year. And she didn't tell us until later on, rumors were spread, parents got angry, etc. etc.
So, my junior year, we have a new band director. He seems more responsible and dedicated to making our band excell. I tried out for drum major along with two other people. All of us were going to make drum major, but it was all on who got "head" drum major. To my surprise, I actually got. I thought the guy who had gone to dm camp, and had more experience was going to get.
Things seemed to be picking up. I got drum major, we have a good band director. But the thing with a new director is that we have to start from scratch. We aren't doing field competition this year, we're only doing it in football games. We're focused more on street parade.
So I wish luck for our bands!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:39 pm
I have had different band directors every year since I joined band in sixth grade. We got a new assistant band director last year (my sophomore year). Our old assistant BD was a lot nicer... and he quit at the last moment so our marching band's leader ship was chosen by him and our main BD. But this year with Mr. New Guy the whole leadership system has changed. There's now only one section leader position for every section except flutes and percussion. I tried out for sl and lost (sl's didn't even have auditions this year, they just picked whoever sucked up the most. Person who got sl for my section didn't want it either) I've heard a lot of people are quitting. With the leadership in ruins and a truckload of freshman coming is, I don't know what will become of our band...
I can kinda understand how you feel, but I don't think you should give up on the marching band for school politics. You shouldn't enroll in an activity that will stress you out. You can try to do things to keep your band together like Ashokan Farewell suggested. Good luck; I hope this upcoming band season works out.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:52 pm
:] Thanks for the feedback everyone! Actually, my band director is still here for the summer apparently, and right now they are interviewing for the new band director, and they think they have found the one.. It's some young charismatic oboe player... However, the real test is dealing with us students, and everyone has agreed that the real test is getting past my grilling. :] I tend to be very abrasive and offensive... He'll have his hands filled...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
