Posted by Matt Goosen on November 03, 2002 at 20:38:21:
In Reply to: does marching band messup your sound? posted by James Tony Rivera on November 03, 2002 at 20:16:56:
One word: no. If anything, marching has taught me how to control my sound. Constant moving, of course, causes my horn to slightly bounce as I move about the field. To play, I focus on centering my air stream, even moreso than in a concert setting. As of last year, I got to a point where my air stream became more "focused" (of course, I'd like to thank JaTtik Clark for making it a million times better). Speaking of focus, on the field, one heavily concentrates on the general blend of the band--not just your own personal sound. This also helps in giving the music inside the ensemble as a whole a much better sound and "feel" to its listener. The sousaphone is especially tricky to march with--unlike the other instruments, despite your smooth movement, you'll still experience a slight "bounce." Once you overcome this and apply the same control and focus on sound during concert season (toned down a bit in volume, of course), you'll find yourself to be a much better tubist.
Regards,
Matt Goosen
2nd yr marcher (AT) Skyview High School
Auditionee for Oregon Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps
P.S. Feel free to contact me via AIM (SN: SkyviewTuba) if you have any further questions.