Posted by Mike Solms on January 30, 2002 at 15:51:14:
In Reply to: Re: orchestra players in marching band posted by Tom Mason on January 30, 2002 at 10:51:38:
Tom- This is a multi-faceted issue for certain. If you wouldn't mind though, I would be interested in your opinion as a band director and freelancer. In my experience, one of the most important skills in the post-school music world is sight reading. When you get the word on a gig and coordinate everyone's schedules, you usually find you have to be able to put things together in very little rehearsal time. The people who can read well, listen well, and learn quickly are the ones who get calls.
I see a lot of high school programs in my area where the marching band spends the whole year doing the same show. When they do start their concert season, it is geared to a couple of concerts and a contest. Students might play as few as ten different pieces of music over an entire school year. I understand the pressures administrators and parents put on programs. It seems to me, though, that these situations ultimately deprive students of the kind of skills that will keep them playing as adults. When a student finishes four years in your program, what do you want them to leave with, and what do you think is the best way to get them there?