Up until this point all I have really talked about is marching band, but there is way more to any band department than the marching band. Some schools don't even have a marching band. Sometimes it's because of funds and sometimes it's because there isn't any interest in it at the school either from the students end, the directors or the school board.
Everyone has to start somewhere, and for the band kids it means starting in some beginner band program and maybe even getting lessons. After the beginning band course they can move up in the ranks and play with more experienced players and continue to become even more experienced in their instrument or even learn others. Many of the people I know once they learn one instrument they learn to play several others.
These concert bands perform fall, winter and spring concerts for parents, friends and who ever chooses to show up. They don't move around, they sit in chairs on a stage and perform beautiful pieces from composers all over. Since my eighth grade year I have missed one band concert. Every concert I have gone to you can hear the emotion, dedication and hard work the musicians put into at least one piece they played that evening. It's truly a moving experience.
Not all of what a band does means performing in a big group. During the school year students decide what they want to do for ISSMA solo and ensemble. Whether its to play with a small group or and a single person. They also have to decide the level of difficulty they would like to play and on what instrument they would like to play because as I have mentioned many students play more than one instrument. They play in front of judges and receive a bronze, silver or gold rating and run the chance of qualifying for state. The concert bands as a whole also compete in the ensemble section every year.
Many students choose to or are put on a guilt trip by our band director into playing with our jazz band(s). There is the Jazz Express, Jazz Ensemble, and Jazz Combo (formerly the Wombo Combo) at my school. If I'm being honest, which I am, I have no idea what the difference between the Jazz Express and Jazz Ensemble is other than they're taught by different directors and one is a class and the other meets after school. The Jazz Combo is student led and from time to time plays at small businesses in the community. All three play for JIZZMA which is basically solo and ensemble but jazz form. Every year they also hold a jazz contest and jazz cafe. They also perform at the festival of trees every year around Christmas time.
Right after marching band ends the Color Guard and Percussion go into auditions and rehearsals for their winter seasons. Although separate the seasons seem to run almost identical except the Percussionist's contest start about a month after the Color Guard's do. More on those seasons in other sections.
One thing that is very similar with all of the band activities is that there are literally no breaks in between. Indoor percussion, Winterguard, and the Jazz groups all begin within a wee of the end of marching band and when those are over the students get maybe a week or so and then marching band starts back up. Concert bands run all school year so they don't get any breaks from that due to the fact that its a class. Students that participate in solo and ensemble also have to practice and work on that on their own time.
Trying to balance a full time school schedule, homework, rehearsals, practicing on your own time and for some students also holding down a job to pay for the many activities they are in gets a bit overwhelming at times to be honest. At any given time you will find at least one student asleep in the back office, a practice room or even one of the storage rooms due to trying to balance all of the above. I meet with my college adviser and when he found out everything I did in High School he immediately felt so much sympathy for me. He was a band student himself in High School and he felt the pain of being a band kid.
I just wanted to give a huge thank you to anyone who has read up to this point. I still have a bit more to go but it means so much that you would take the time out of your life to read this mess. You're magnificent. :)
-A
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A Memoir from the Band Room
Non-FictionThe life of a High School band department is full of trials and tribulations that people not in the programs don't hear of or don't think about. Sit in with a few members from the band department and hear their side of things. Featuring: some the fi...
