Band :( :)

[flipturngirl]

I am going to be a senior in high school. In the spring we had drum major tryouts. I did not get it or horn captain. We have band camp next week and well it is going to be hard to be the only senior girl who is not "top" notch in the band. Well anyway the night we found out about drum major and stuff my teacher told me I would be section leader of my instrument. Well now two weeks later he said someone different who is a grade lower then me. I am so upset and do not know what I should do. Stay in band and keep at it or drop it? My friend who got horn captain did not even write her own essay. She had another person write it for her who is the new drum major. What would you tell your kids to do? Also I would like to keep this message here and not move to the teen boards because they would just laugh at it. Thanks

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Are you planning on using band for scholarships or do you plan on pursuing a music major in College?
What are your plans for college?

Secondly, do you have opportunity to "challenge" people? I know in dd's band you can "shadow" in practice or something like that to challenge someone's spot.

Third, do you do regional band and have you done solo competitions and won?

 

[MLspartansbball]

I would stick with it. Youve gotta realize.. stuff like this is gonna happen. Theres always going to be someone who choses the easy way out while you work really hard.. and they get it. Youre gonna have an awesome time at Band Camp!! So dont worry about it and stick with it!

 

[Horseshoes]

I would stick with it also, you will have such a fun time as a senior anyway. Why miss out on the opportunity to participate.

And as unfair as it seems to you, stuff like that happens.

How big is your band? Out of all the seniors, are you really the only one who is not "top notch"?

In my DD's marching band, its the drum line that is hard to be in. Last year a freshman took the place of an upper classmen on the drum line.

Have a wonderful band season!!!!

 

[Tifffany]

If you still enjoy it, just stick with it. I loved marching band, even though I was never one of the better musicians...I still had a lot of fun!

 

[flipturngirl]

There is 7 seniors in my band.. There is 4 girls and 2 boys. The 5 girls tried out and 3 got it. The other senior girl will not particapate in band that much this year because she is dance team captain. The other girl is not going to be in band next year because of drama. The two boys who are in the band really do not particapte like the rest of the seniors. They just sit and hardly play. I am upset but I will try and do my best. Apparently if one of the drum majors or horn captains get sick, dies, breaks a bone or comes down with maleria (SP) I get to take there spot that night. but I dunno

 

[Shutterbug]

I am going to be a senior in high school. In the spring we had drum major tryouts. I did not get it or horn captain. We have band camp next week and well it is going to be hard to be the only senior girl who is not "top" notch in the band. Well anyway the night we found out about drum major and stuff my teacher told me I would be section leader of my instrument. Well now two weeks later he said someone different who is a grade lower then me. I am so upset and do not know what I should do. Stay in band and keep at it or drop it? My friend who got horn captain did not even write her own essay. She had another person write it for her who is the new drum major. What would you tell your kids to do? Also I would like to keep this message here and not move to the teen boards because they would just laugh at it. Thanks

Ahhh been there done that. This is my story. My senior year in high school the director decided to put all four seniors into one squad and let the juniors be squad leaders of the other squads. At first we were all pretty ticked and wanted to quit but after awhile it became fun. We actually got to have more fun sitting back and laughing at the underclassmen trying pic new things up where we had been doing it for four years. So we got to kick back and relax more. We were all glad we stayed in. We were all friends before but putting us in a "super squad"(as the director put it) made us better friends.

 

[Shutterbug]

Apparently if one of the drum majors or horn captains get sick, dies, breaks a bone or comes down with maleria (SP) I get to take there spot that night. but I dunno

There ya go..see there is hope

 

[Tinijocaro]

I know it can be a hard pill to swallow, but is it possible that at the audition the other horn player played better than you? DH is a HS band director and each year has some kids who just can't accept that the person who won was better than them on that day. Sometimes the better kids come in without practicing and blow their audition, while the not as good kids work really hard and do great at it. The better kids assume since they were first chair last year, or in the better band last year, that it's a given this year too- that the audition is just a formality. Not so, at least ion DH's bands. Not saying any of this is you, I don't know you.

 

[I Love Pluto]

Are you in band to enjoy band and all the fun things that come with it? Or are you in band to get first chair? I'd say - stay in band for all the reasons you joined it in the first place. Enjoy your time there.

 

[DMickey28]

I am sorry that you didn't get DM. Take my advice for what it's worth. I was a senior in high school 10 years ago. I was in the band. I wasn't a "popular" band member but I had friends. I was also one of the few seniors that wasn't a DM or section leader. It bothered me a little bit, but to be honest, during the season it didn't make a difference. I don't know what your school is like or your band is like, but for mine it probably mattered to the 'popular' guys but not to me or my friends! And I dated one of the 'popular' guys who was a DM that year!

Good LUck with what you decide. I would not trade my marching band memories for anything.

 

[flipturngirl]

well in our band drum major and horn capt. are the same basically. The section leaders did not even have a tryout. I think I am going to stick with it and laugh at the people who mess up. On tryout day I did not hear one of the commands so i think that is what messed me up.

 

[golfgal]

DS14's section leader is a sophomore. There are a few seniors and juniors in the section too. While she is one of the better players, she isn't the best player but she is the best leader of the group. In their band, the section leaders have a LOT more work to do then the other members. DS14 was having problems with one section of the music and met with his section leader for an hour before rehearsal the other night to go over things with her. She has extra meetings to attend and all the section leaders had to know all the parts in their sections before band started so she had to practice twice as much as anyone else. It is a lot of extra work.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My 15yodd is a sophmore and is in "A Block" again...the lowest block, btw.
She isn't too happy but she likes being in Band. She plays the Alto Sax.

 

[Lynn CC]

Sounds like the band leader is playing favorites to me. That's what happened to my DS (not that anyone was playing favorites, just that he had to make a decision) so he didn't take it his senior year after playing the trumpet in the band since 4th grade...just before band camp he went up to the high school and signed up for another AP Class that he really wanted to take, which made 3 AP classes that he otherwise wouldn't have been able to take had he stayed in the band, too time consuming.

He ended up with FULL merit tuition scholarship to College, they didn't care about his trumpet playing at all, they just cared about academics. You may want to check out the colleges your planning to attend, if you are. See what they are looking for in an applicant and go from there. Senior year is very important in decisions!

Good luck

 

[missypie]

With your senior yaer starting, stick with band, esp. if you have done it all four years. It's hard to start all new acitivites your senior year. Just have fun with it.

Set backs and disappointments build character. Your parents will tell you that, and it is true. You will be a more sympathetic person in the future. Maybe some day you will have a child who won't make drum major, and you can comfort him with the stories of what a blast you had your senior year when you didn't make it.

As for being the "only" senior girl, etc....no one else will know or care. I went to orchestra camp before my senior year. Our school had some scholarships and the better violinists didn't want to go, so the teacher just went down the line until she found people who wanted them. At the time, I was 5th chair second violin. When I got to camp and heard the auditions I was mortified....everyone else who was there was FANTASTIC! I was LAST CHAIR of the whole camp orchestra....there must have been 40 violinists and I was last (the other kids from our school were second to last and third to last). I was so humiliated...but do you know what? No one cared at all. I got over myself after about a day and had a fantastic time at camp....and my playing improved a bit, too!

 

[Chuck S]

Are you able to "challenge" your first chair? When I was in band, regardles of grade level, we could. What would happen is we would submit the challenge to the director, he would then set up a time for the challenge. When we arrived, he ould randomly pick a piece of music for us each to play...whoever did best won the challenge.

I agree, stick with band, even if you feel slighted at the moment. Looking back in a few years you'll be glad you did.

 

[mom2boys]

well in our band drum major and horn capt. are the same basically. The section leaders did not even have a tryout. I think I am going to stick with it and laugh at the people who mess up.

Glad to hear this. Stick with it & have fun. I was in band all through high school & really wish I had stuck with it for college. Enjoy your Senior year!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Good decision to stick with band. I know it stinks but there will be other times in life when you will once again meet up with disappointment. It doesn't get easier through, it still stinks. But I think there is something to be said about sticking with something even through the disappointment. Enjoy your senior year.

 

[flipturngirl]

For the 1st chair thing. I know that I would not get it. We do not have challenges of any sort. In my section there is 15 of us and well last year it basically went by grade level in chairing. So I do not understand his methods. But I am excited about band now. Anyway I do not have to staand in the field with my butt facing the football field, like the drum majors do. lol


ETA:

I am thinking about it now. Well It will be fun my senior year I have not taken any AP classes. and I should take them but I am horrible at tests and big classes like that. So that is why after high school I am going to community college. Next year will be fun and I am excited. The people who made drum major and stuff are only taking band because we have to have 5 classes to be inrolled in school full time. They think that I am crazy for taking 8 classes next year with one early realease. I am excited about senior year and band camp next week