Community Band

ButchA

@Dr-GO said in Community Band:

@ButchA said in Community Band:

...the full arrangement includes clarinets, flutes, French horn, etc... --- things you don't see in a common jazz band setup.

Unless it's a Gill Evans arrangement.

And which also "includes" several instruments left out.

Butch - what you are describing is not the difference between a full arrangement and a H.S. jazz band, but between a concert band and a jazz band.

I stand corrected...

Tobylou8

Saturday in the Park
A Stroll in the Garden
A Renaissance Revel
Rushmore
At Sunrise
On The Mall
Capitol Square March

Upcoming concerts could include:

The Sinfonians
Strategic Air Command
Mr. Hollands Opus
Patton's 6th Cavalry
SLAVA!
Der'in De

Newell Post

My other community band is working it's way up to a Spring concert. The program is still under development, but will probably include the "Department of Homeland Security March". Who knew they had a march? But it's actually not half bad. Unfortunately, it seems to have bumped Sousa's "Golden Jubilee March" from the lineup. That's a jaunty little Sousa march you don't hear every day...

Youtube Video – [00:00..]

Youtube Video

Kehaulani

@Newell-Post said in Community Band:

The program is still under development, but will probably include the "Department of Homeland Security March".

Do you have to stand in long lines before you can play it?

BigDub

@Kehaulani said in Community Band:

@Newell-Post said in Community Band:

The program is still under development, but will probably include the "Department of Homeland Security March".

Do you have to stand in long lines before you can play it?

Not sure, but you might have to take your shoes off.

Bob Pixley

After a long layoff, I played with a local community band for a few years to get my chops back in a low-stress situation. Home practice is a great thing, but you can't measure your progress very well without playing in a group of some sort, preferably populated by better players than you are. It was great fun.

GeorgeB

My trumpet teacher back in 1953, a pro trumpet player, told me to play with better players as often as I can. I didn't realize at the time just how great that advice was.

mafields627

@ButchA said in Community Band:

@Kehaulani said in Community Band:

@Dr-GO said in Community Band:

@ButchA said in Community Band:

...the full arrangement includes clarinets, flutes, French horn, etc... --- things you don't see in a common jazz band setup.

Unless it's a Gill Evans arrangement.

And which also "includes" several instruments left out.

Butch - what you are describing is not the difference between a full arrangement and a H.S. jazz band, but between a concert band and a jazz band.

I stand corrected...

"Educational" jazz arrangements do come with expanded instrumentation. I had two flute players and a tuba in my jazz band this year that didn't double and those parts came in handy.

Also, check out the University of North Alabama Studio Lab Band. They have an amplified instrumentation that includes clarinets and French horns. It's a pretty cool sound.

N1684T

Once i get to the point of having the elusive thing known as free time, i plan on finding and joining a community band. It, and free time, is whats holding me back from a real comeback;) I'm just a hack now. Hard to make the 5-10 minutes a day now. But i just got an Olds Special trumpet in which gets my chops anxious. Very sexy trumpet, probably late 50's. Perfect closet Queen with poor finish, but relatively intact. I have an Olds special cornet, but haven't spent much time with her. First Special Trumpet though;)

BigDub

@GeorgeB said in Community Band:

My trumpet teacher back in 1953, a pro trumpet player, told me to play with better players as often as I can. I didn't realize at the time just how great that advice was.

I agree 100% with you, George. I have been playing in a community band for 8 years now, but lately I am sitting next to the lead trumpet player. He definitely makes me a better player because I don’t want to let him down. He is also very gracious and gives me plenty of constructive criticism. I try my best to only have to hear something once.

N1684T

I would have been a better high school player if i heeded that advice;)

Kehaulani

Playing with people better than you can be a big eye opener. Perhaps one of the biggest eye openers with that for me, is not technical or musical stuff, but simply to see a role model for which the word "commitment" truly means.

BigDub

I like to say, if I’m in a group, I’d rather be the worst one in the bunch and try to keep up than have to be concerned for everyone else’s playing.

GeorgeB

@BigDub said in Community Band:

@GeorgeB said in Community Band:

My trumpet teacher back in 1953, a pro trumpet player, told me to play with better players as often as I can. I didn't realize at the time just how great that advice was.

I agree 100% with you, George. I have been playing in a community band for 8 years now, but lately I am sitting next to the lead trumpet player. He definitely makes me a better player because I don’t want to let him down. He is also very gracious and gives me plenty of constructive criticism. I try my best to only have to hear something once.

Wow, Wayne, that is the same situation I am in, and my guy is exactly like yours. He helps me all he can because he feels down the road that I can relieve him by playing some of those difficult high range solos he has to do.

SSmith1226

I had an interesting experience this week. Several months ago I got accepted to the Florida “All Star Community Band”. It is made up of around 110 musicians from around fifty or more community bands from all over the state who are recommended by their local band directors. Every few years this band forms and performs at the State of Florida Band Directors Conference. In general, each player in the band comes from the first or second seat in their home band’s section. Through attrition, not talent, I as a three and a half year comeback player, sit in the second seat of the first trumpet section of my home band. Most of the participsnts have extended experience and are great musicians. Each piece played is chosen and conducted by different “all star” conductors from around the state.
We all got together for the first time Monday afternoon and evening. Our rehearsal lasted over 5 hours.
At 8:15 am Tuesday we met again and rehearsed until 5:00 pm with a 1 hr lunch break.
Wednesday we met at 8:15 am again and rehearsed until 12 noon including a dress rehearsal from 11:00 to 12:00. At 3:30 we started our 1 hr concert. By the start of the concert, my lip was like a piece of wood. Fortunately I was one of four people assigned second cornet / trumpet, but never the less the pieces were quite challenging.
Out of curiosity, have any of you experienced such intense sessions culminating in a high profile, high level performance without major rest? If so, was this at an amateur level, or professional level. Is this what a professional band or orchestra goes through routinely, or is this an exception. I felt very sorry for the first trumpet players, but somehow they held up and did a great job. I certainly had my problems often times could be heard playing unison with the trombones, or blowing occlusal air balls.
Never the less it was a challenging but great experience. If given the opportunity, I would do it again.

Kehaulani

I think the schedule was dictated by the time constraints and the finances of the participants. In my experience, such a schedule is not common. I would add, though, that the choice of music for the program doesn't sound very wise to me. What was the program?

SSmith1226

@Kehaulani said in Community Band:

I think the schedule was dictated by the time constraints and the finances of the participants. In my experience, such a schedule is not common. I would add, though, that the choice of music for the program doesn't sound very wise to me. What was the program?

Kehaulani

Well, the program looks reasonable but that depends on the caliber of the players. How much is too much depends on the level of the players, so I can't really know, this is hypothetical.

As a general rule, I use an 80/20 ratio; I usually choose a piece of music that the band can play reasonably well 80% accurately on the first read and then devote the rest of the time (relatively) bringing the remaining 20% into shape. Then the overall pacing of the entire program has to be taken into account, so you might want to give the band a little rest with an easier piece, while challenging it with a more difficult piece.

BTAIM, I would never have that kind of schedule, even with a professional band. Because of resources and logistics, I can see why the schedule was so intense and compact, but even in those circumstances, I personally wouldn't have such a schedule.

And congratulations on your selection to play in that band. What a wonderful experience and opportunity.

As an aside, did you run across Les Muncaster?
Also, for those that are sight challenged, could you considering breaking your posts into smaller paragraphs? Thanks.

SSmith1226

I did not meet or see Les Muncaster. It is possible that he was at this convention, but literally all my time there was taken up in rehearsals and preparation.

Conductors in rehearsals and performance included Ivan Wansley, Jimmy Parker, Doug Phillips, John Southall, Don Snowden, Gary Green, and Alfred Watkins. All were superb conductors and very passionate in their analysis and instruction.

The participating musicians, ages 18 - 94 were in the top tier of their individual organizations. I’m not sure how I got assigned to playing the second trumpet part rather than third trumpet part, when you take into account the talent within the section, but it was a great experience playing with these conductors and the entire band of musicians of such high caliber.

Kehaulani

I asked about Les because I worked with him in the past and the last I knew, he was conducting a Florida community band (a hurricane refugee from the Mississippi gulf coast).

The seat assignment philosophy might have been to place a heavy player on each part vs. a top to bottom placement.

Again, congratulations.