Posted by Randy Mac Iver on June 22, 2000 at 12:25:43:
In Reply to: Re: how long will band music survive? posted by D. Seebaugh on June 22, 2000 at 08:53:22:
Wow David!
I have been thinking about this very topic for the past five years. I play in a Community Band that started up in 95 and is going strong and seems to be growing. We have had as many as nine Tubas at several rehearsals and we regularly have six at a performance all of which are very compitent performers. I must admit that most of the tunes we play do have the corny good old times appeal to our audience because most of which are retirement communities and public park concert series. In our area of Sotheastern Pa there are many fine Concert Bands two of which are The Allentown Band and the Quakertown Band both over one hundred years old and still going. Like you said it is a cheap night out and since most are voluntary that the actual cost to run a band is not an insurmountable sum. With large High School band programs in the area and fewer professional Band possitions for them to fill each year, there always will be a large group of talent to pick from. The key to our Bands success so far has been the oustanding leadership of the Music Director and the Business manager. Having a concert schedule and beeing able to deliver a good product keeps them asking for a return concert next season. I must confess that at times I find myself thinking more about the Pat Sheridan CD I listened to on the way to the concert than the extrememly unreadable copy of (insert a march here)on my music stand. I never really thought of a Concert Band as a good place to be as a listener. Sometimes listening to a clarinet section in a unison passage can be quite a challenge but then again having a full reed section play in tune can be an epiphany! When I was younger I had a passion to be a great performer and I could recognize this passion in other performers but now I think it is great that Six guys that have totaly different reasons for being in the band can play to gether and in tune. My tolerences and expectations have changed alot. Most of what a community band is about is the "community" and not who has a new YorkBrunner Tuba or the Newest Mouthpiece that has triple wall constuction and weights 50lbs. Besides Dave, if you really hated the music you would leave the band your in. There is alot of concert band music out there that is really great stuff to play and listen to. It is all in the programing of the concert. Keep playing in your Band and as I used to say in the Marine Drum Corps Before an Iwo Jima Show - "Do Good and Don't Suck and above all Don't pass Out!". You might have inspired some young person to become a great musician and not ever know it.
That's enough....Ohh bye the way concert bands will be around as long as people enjoy playing and listening to music.
Randy " I'm just playing along with the latest fad that Rick Denney Started over a year ago and maybe my post could fit between my name sillyness!" Mac Iver