mystic cobra

Is anyone else in the local high school band?Or were you ever in band?If so what do you play?
I play trombone and its my second favorite thing next to Mustangs.

Lalo

I was in a band during high school
We were The Cyborgz lol. We played Aces High from Iron Maiden, Breaking the Law by Judas Priest, and For Whom the Bell Tolls by Metallica. then we never really got together again lol.

I played the drums

Scothew

Played from 6th grade till grad. marched Alto sax 3 years, snare drum 2. Played Alto sax in concert band 5 years (1st chair last 2 years). Played Alto in jazz band for 4 years, also swapped on some arrangements to tenor sax. After grad, I played bass about 2 years with friends in a couple of different small bands. More just fun jam sessions. wanting to get a bass or either learn 6-string.

mystic cobra

Scothew,
I am currently learning how to play bass.I'm a sophomore and I've been 1st chair since I started except for last year. What kind of bass are you looking for?

Scothew

honestly, i'll probably learn 6-string since I pretty much have my dad's old guitars and amp (71 fender strat & 63 gibson 325 and a 12" mesa boogie studio series tube amp).

if I had my choice though, I really want a old fender jazz bass. Cant beat the sound for playing blues type stuff and the smaller neck gives a faster play action. I'd really love to have a 5-string acoustic. I love acoustic stuff period and i have always had a use for a 5-string.

mystic cobra

I used to have a 92 fender jazz base but i sold it and got a Paul Mcartney style Epiphone viola.I like it but I miss that Fender :cry:

EleanorsMine

My kid plays tenor sax-coming up on a year now. I raised holy hades to get it for her too- she had to have something cool if she was going to go into that band mess. She likes it a lot, and she is one of one.
I figure it will come in handy when she's older- the saxophone is something else cool.

Hey boys- Did I mention I got blackie :P

houtex

I started out in 6th grade with a clarinet. I was fourth chair mostly that year, and then magically was first chair. (I got into band 'cause of a girl, and chose clarinet because of her. Sappy, but true.) In middle school (as it was known back then) they didn't have marchin' bands, but concert bands. We were ok, I guess.

I was first chair all the time until 9th grade, freshmeat in high school. That first year of high school marchin' band, I had to be 3rd. Ok, senority, that's cool, and they were better than me. But not for long... I wound up 1st chair before long. Yay me.

Then marching season was over, and these two guys who played tenor in the marching band all of a sudden were sitting 1st and 2nd. What the heck? Then they played. Ah. Ok, THAT's where I need to get to. Never did. They's were good.

Somewhere in that, I wound up in stage band/jazz ensemble. That was pretty nifty. But there's not much call for a clarinet for some reason. So they hooked me up with a soprano sax. It's like Kenny G plays, but I was cooler than he is... Yeah right. I also wound up with an all wood Normandy, which I understood at the time to be a pretty good clarinet to get, not them plastic ones. Boy it sounded good.

The thing was that the soprano and the clarinet were the same fingers and key. So it was a pretty easy transition.

And after those two guys with the Tenors, well, I had to get me one of those. Again, same fingers and keys. And I did. And I was in their section for marching band. WAY more fun to march with than a clarinet.

And then we were 123 in clarinet. Then those two graduated, and I pulled the same stunt the next two years. Tenor sax for marching, then 1st chair clarinet for concert season. I had fun watching the first time I just showed up, put the chair at the end, and all the newbies goin "what the heck?" like I did. And them having the light click on after the first day. Twice. Yeah.

Heck ya, I had fun in band. Loved it. I guess I was pretty good overall. Not to toot my own woodwinds, but I won a couple of medals for the HISD Enseble I was in for saxophone. We were GOOD together. I was selected to be in the McDonalds Olympic Marching Band as a clarinet (much to my disappointment, I really liked the tenor sax for that) after I graduated. I went to a couple of sessions, then decided that I'd rather go to Big Bend with the family. (kinda wish I didn't sometimes, but it was a really great trip.) I surely wished I could have calmed my nerves during concert contests, as I tended to tense up and squeak one note during the solos. Perfect in practice sessions, but choke city at the events. Sigh.

The weirdest part is that after my first year of clarinet learning, I never practiced. I could get an entire score for a symphonic piece, learn it in a week, and then repeat over and over, without the score in front. Ditto with the whole marching thing.

I should have made a career outta that, but instead, I got into programming computers. Silly me.

Dude, I just typed a small biography! Sorry... But thanks for the topic! Man, thems were the days...

houtex

Oh yeah, my favorite thing to do was to learn the wrong part of the score and play it. Like playing the part for 2nd trumpet on my tenor. Or play a piccolo (we had 'em) part on the clarinet, only one octave low, naturally. Only the busy parts, of course. Oh, occasionally the solos for trumpets. Fun to play the tenor on them. *Especially* in the stands at football games. Funny to watch CJ (our director) or the majors look about with a puzzled face trying to figure out what was wrong... I got that from my Dad, I guess...

Scothew

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA thats great...we had a girl play the tuba part on a flute once that was pretty funny.

stargirl66

I started on the flute in elementary school, then played the clarinet in junior high. I was usually third chair out of five. But one magical day, the first chair and second chair weren't at class, and I got the first chair for a whole week! My band director got me on a alto sax to perform with the junior high jazz band, wish I would have started with it instead of clarinet.

When I got to high school, the only option for band was to be in the marching band which I wasn't interested in. I had taken a few guitar lessons so auditioned for the rythym guitar part in the jazz band and got it. I felt bad for the guy who really should have got the part, he was a fantastic improv player, but could not read notes. Me, just th opposite. I could learn all those scales but had a hard time just jamming.

After high school, I gradually put it all aside, even though I do miss it. I bought an acoustic guitar a few years ago with all good intentions, but it sadly sits in it's case. If there were only more hours in the day, more days in the week . . .

I highly recommend band for any kid in school. It teaches music appreciation, and after learning how to count and keep a beat, I think we are all better dancers for it too!

codeman94

I was snare section leader in the Marching band, but then switched to baritone when my director decided it would be cool to axe the drumline and have a ginrmous pit. I switched cause I wanted to march and not stand on the sidelines playing stupid Timpanis

Scothew

Marching band without a drum line????????? Guess I was lucky because when I was there, my drum instructor was also the drum instructor for SouthWind (Drum Corps International band)

EleanorsMine

My kid keeps trying to play guitar music on her sax.