I'll start this off with saying I really appreciate you guys starting this particular sub-forum. I see it being beneficial to quite a few people now and down the road.
It was a little over a year ago I was told about the local community band after talking to a buddy asfter a MENSA meeting (a doctor who happens to play clarinet in the band). It was for the next night, and I hadn't played in ages, but I got my horn out that night and took it for a spin. The next evening I went and sat in. They had 2 altos, so I just sat in the middle and played 2nd part. I had a blast.
Its now up to 6-7 altos, 0 tenors, and an occasional bari. I play principle 2nd part, and had a 15 y/o kid come sit in front of me playing 1st part. We don't have auditions, but the kid is sitting between two people who have been doing it while. His dad found the band and got his son in by playing with us as well (a no-HS player rule with this band, barring this one exception). Our band director is a sax player, which is nice, and after talking to him for about 20 minutes after a rehearsal about a certain trumpet player who quit over not being put on first part after years of playing second, the director explained to me (and the other guy previously) that this was done to have a strong player on second part. I understood, he didn't. But I often enjoy the second part... of times more of a challenge, and I'm not getting the solos, but we OFTEN to go "one on a part' (you know that tuning 1-2 saxes is bad, try 4-6). It works out for everyone, really. BTW, the 15 y/o is good for his age, first chair in his HS band, but this band (playing grade 4-6 music) is a proper challenge for him, where he's probably able to sight read his school's pieces to 85% of accuracy when its first handed out. I've been there... it gets boring.)
This year, I've dropped around 500$ on sax stuff (playing condition setup, new mpc), I've made some of that back selling a horn on consignment for a friend, I've sat in in a local big band (almost cold... I got a look at the playlist and the book the day before, so I spent 3 hours going over 28 pieces I'd never read before). I think I've had 9 performances since the beginning of the school year (we run August - May/June).
Its been a good year, looking forward to next!
**BRENT**
It was a little over a year ago I was told about the local community band after talking to a buddy asfter a MENSA meeting (a doctor who happens to play clarinet in the band). It was for the next night, and I hadn't played in ages, but I got my horn out that night and took it for a spin. The next evening I went and sat in. They had 2 altos, so I just sat in the middle and played 2nd part. I had a blast.
Its now up to 6-7 altos, 0 tenors, and an occasional bari. I play principle 2nd part, and had a 15 y/o kid come sit in front of me playing 1st part. We don't have auditions, but the kid is sitting between two people who have been doing it while. His dad found the band and got his son in by playing with us as well (a no-HS player rule with this band, barring this one exception). Our band director is a sax player, which is nice, and after talking to him for about 20 minutes after a rehearsal about a certain trumpet player who quit over not being put on first part after years of playing second, the director explained to me (and the other guy previously) that this was done to have a strong player on second part. I understood, he didn't. But I often enjoy the second part... of times more of a challenge, and I'm not getting the solos, but we OFTEN to go "one on a part' (you know that tuning 1-2 saxes is bad, try 4-6). It works out for everyone, really. BTW, the 15 y/o is good for his age, first chair in his HS band, but this band (playing grade 4-6 music) is a proper challenge for him, where he's probably able to sight read his school's pieces to 85% of accuracy when its first handed out. I've been there... it gets boring.)
This year, I've dropped around 500$ on sax stuff (playing condition setup, new mpc), I've made some of that back selling a horn on consignment for a friend, I've sat in in a local big band (almost cold... I got a look at the playlist and the book the day before, so I spent 3 hours going over 28 pieces I'd never read before). I think I've had 9 performances since the beginning of the school year (we run August - May/June).
Its been a good year, looking forward to next!
**BRENT**
