Welcome to Gaia! ::

thanks, I changed it to peer instead of pier lol...
My BD knows exactly who they are and gave everyone but the 4 ppl a lecture today, but I don't think it will work, they ignore it half they time. Thanks for yer advice.

they should eventually realize that they need to practice but even if they don't its their loss.

Your band director can always make practicing a grade, if it's not already, and that might get some more to practice. Other than that, try having the high school band come to your class to play for you - that might inspire some. Overall, though, it is difficult to make people practice. They have to want it for themselves. If they don't, there's nothing you can do about it. You just have to tolerate it and continue to get better on your own.

I would say that practicing for a grade would be a good idea but the people would just lie and say they practiced.

I know I'm one of the guilty ones who hardly ever practices but I always stayed in because I love music and band in general. But This year (my junior year) I got placed as first chair in the lowest high school band and now I actually have a shot at being in the next highest band by next semester. That was a huge wake up call because now I actually have rivals and people looking up to me. It was a weird feeling but that just made me want to practice to get better.

They'll either get out (cause over 50% of the people in my class dropped out of band after my freshmen year) or relize that band is fun but it's also a very serious matter. Just give it time.

As a suggestion:

Have the teacher invoke punishments for not playing correctly. If something goes wrong and he can pinpoint the problem person tell him to move them to last chair. If they really wanna be first chair then they'll shut up and play correctly that may help with some issues

Also try chair testing more often that way they'll have to keep up on thier playing skills lest they lose thier chair.

Same problem here. I just give them critisism, and when they don't practice, I flip out. That makes the other trombones practice (and some euphoniums :3). One time, I kicked one of the kids in the shin every time I passed him for an entire day, because he forgot his music FOR A PERFORMANCE. Our BD wasn't very happy either.

Hmmm...I don't think there's really anything YOU yourself can do. But your band director...Yes.

My old middle school band director used to make us take home practice records and have our parents sign them. A lot of kids' parents will simply sign it even if their child doesn't practice. Mine never did, even if I was good enough that I didn't need to practice the music. But, those practice records annoyed me enough that I wanted to quit band in high school. I HATED them. And when I did get into high school, the director didn't make us do records. And I fell in love with band again.

And now, here I am, in college and majoring in music.

But seriously, leave it to your band director. Talk to him about it, but don't berate the others about practicing. They'll probably start to hate you if you do.

Quick comments on other suggestions: People can and will lie about practicing when it counts for a grade. Some parents might believe their kid practiced, or go along with it and lie as well, signing when they know their kid didn't practice. I would know. I did that 6th grade. We had Practice records, where we would have to write down the time we practiced and then our parents would sign it to say we did what we said. My parents would make up times I practiced for me and sign it. I still practiced every once in a whil, but not as much as I should have. I regret t now, too. I could have been even better then I already am. I'm one of the lucky ones who has natural talent for band, mostly because it runs in my family.(My grandpa played basoon, my family on my mom's side who are older then my mom played clarinet, etc. I got the music talent from my mom's side and somehow my dad and sister ended up with none.) I can get things real easy when it comes to math and music. But this year, I have been working my rear end off with practicing and I can already see improvement. Even seniors and juniors are commenting on my playing, and I am only a freshman.

However, I know how you feel. Nobody, middle school or any other band, ever practiced in my bands. My current one sounds terrible because only about 3 people practice on a regular basis: Me, a senior clarinet and a trumpet player or two. The altos play too loud and rarely the right rhythm, the trumpets play like they don't know what they are doing, the tuba can barely play any notes, the trombone can't get slide positions right, two clarinets can barely be heard and are a disgrace to all freshman clarinets, the flutes don't know how to play mostly and play quietly the wrong rhythm(completely butchereded an easy part at our last concert, too. It was 60bpm, quarter notes. seriously people!), and our baritones are both freshamn who just switched from different instruments(trumpet and trombone). For how to help it, I can't give you much help.