Re: MarchingBand/Real TubaPlaying--Opposites


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Posted by No Fan of Marching on April 11, 2002 at 10:38:39:

In Reply to: MarchingBand/Real TubaPlaying--Opposites posted by Collegetubaplayer on April 11, 2002 at 08:29:55:

With all due respect, I think symphonic type playing and marching are incompatible.

Are you athletic enough to play football? I don't mean actually be a star, just make the team. Third string bench warmer will do as long as you get to suit up. The band director can't keep you out of concert band because you're an athlete -- if he tries the administration will surely side with the football coach, who will surely go to bat for one of "his boys", even if you're not a star, just a kid who gets out and puts his guts into it at practice every day.

I know two major league professional trumpet players who played football as a way of getting out of marching. As they said, a Friday night on the bench was better for their playing than doing a half-time show and blasting in the stands.

Otherwise, you're stuck marching or not playing in school: most band directors won't let you be in the concert band unless you're in the marching band. Of course, when you get to college it may be just the opposite: you can't be in concert band if you are in the marching band. At many schools, the marching band is a creature of the Athletic Department or the Associated Students, not of the Music Department or School of Music. Some schools give scholarships or tuition discounts to kids who are in marching band (up to $5k I understand at places like Notre Dame), but to me the $$ wouldn't be worth the cost to one's playing.


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