The Weakest Link

[barisaxy08]

Does anyone have a person in their section that just asks like they don't understand anything about marching/playing??? I mean it's okay if you don't but you are working at it to get better...but there are some people who just don't give any effort at all and act like they know everything...but when they get to a competition they look stupid because they can't hit any of their sets and they're marching like a tranquilized orangutan...

 

Do you guys have that kinda person in your band/section and if so what do you do about it???

[rdzsaxplaya]

Unfortantly, yes...i do in my sax section to be more specific....

 

EDIT: Oh and i forgot to mention it really TICKS ME OFF when the certain person, doesent show up to rehersal and when the certain person does show up, this person sits there on there cell phone texting! omg i swear if i was a leader i would take it up so fast...and omg...on the field its worst...Ok this person always wants to be perfect when it comes time for show but cmon! I understand this person wants to hit there set...but one of the first things taught it stay within the form!!!! this person actuley ends up looking wrong....which throws everyone off! .....Ok im ranting....lol

[Serardian]

There's this one person that complains. About EVERYTHING.

 

"Our show music sucks."

"I can't make this in 16 counts."

"What time is it? What time is practice over?"

"It's hot!"

"We're not even gonna make State. Why are we still practicing?"

"I have lots of homework."

 

Seriously. SHUT UP. No one wants to hear it and it throws off concentration at rehearsal.

[Devon]

OMG!!! There is someone in my section like that... and there are quite a few in my band. And I know that honestly, I do text on the field. But I only do that when our BD is working with another section, and Aaron thinks it is necessary to put us at check. Then I know it is going to be a while. But as soon as they say "Up!" it's back in my pocket and I wait till the next time I can use my phone. And I do complain sometimes. But I only complain about MAJOR things. And I never EVER EVER EVER complained during drill learning season. Which was the hardest. Anyways... I don't remeber where I was going with this other than people that do nothing shuold be kicked out of the band cause that one person is going to be the one that prevents a really good band from going to State. I am so tired. Just got back from a game. lol

[Aegis Fang]

  Serardian said:

There's this one person that complains. About EVERYTHING.

 

"Our show music sucks."

"I can't make this in 16 counts."

"What time is it? What time is practice over?"

"It's hot!"

"We're not even gonna make State. Why are we still practicing?"

"I have lots of homework."

 

Seriously. SHUT UP. No one wants to hear it and it throws off concentration at rehearsal.

Dude, if someone told me that "we aren't even going to make state", I'd chew his **** out real quick, because THAT'S the same guy that's going to mess up during the area finals and screw it up for everyone. If I had the option, I'd sit his butt on the sideline and make him realize how hard everyone else is working and that he is only holding the entire rest of the band back by making those comments.

[FunkyFlute07]

basically...DUMB. there are a coupole in our band...

the one in my section...just doesn care...doesn't go to rehearsal all the time.. drags on the field. URGH. if you don't want to be there....then don't come at all. fine with me.

[jbrih13]

I dont have that problem within my section (there is only 5 of us and like only 1 is a freshman, and a determined one at that). There are some in my band. One in the clarinet section, and to make things worse she is a senior and was there 03' when we won grand nats. It pissed me off how she really doest care, and does nothing but cause drama, and fights, and mess. When people confront her about it she says we all pick on her and she wants to quit, and she doesnt want to be here anyway. Well then bye!!! We are waiting for you to leave, u are nothing but dead weight to the program that wants to succeed. There is the door, dont let it hit cha where the good lord split cha. LOL

[Backwards Clarinet]

Yes. I agree with rdzsaxplaya on what he said. I see it all the time.

 

In the clarinet section we've got someone (freshmen) who isn't the best marcher ever and her doubler isn't that great at all. But when our techs try to tell her to fix slides or something she talks back like she knows everything.

 

Not to mention third parts. Tell them time and again to play out more...never gets fixed.

 

Really...hmm...

[acsc1312]

HAHA! there is this girl that CANNOT march at all!!!! Granted this is college, and it's not that important, but anyway she cannot march at all. I feel kinda bad laughing at her all the time, but it is hilarious.

[TRtrumpet]

Yeah, we have this one girl. She's technically in our section but our director always puts her like in the low brass group so we never really have to deal with her.

[Tnilli]

Everyone knows woodwinds are the weakest link ;-)

[Valsair]

IMO, it's a number of people:

 

- the people that don't care.

- the people that don't care and make fun of people that DO care.

- the people that aren't where they need to be marching-wise (and don't do anything about it)

- the people that aren't where they need to be music-wise (and don't do anything about it)

 

so and so forth. not to mention the constant bitching at rehearsal, that doesn't help things. ever.

[Salesmonkey]

We had a person like that. Couldnt play, couldnt really march didnt show at many practices, didnt try. He quit a while ago, of course it was in no way due to the section ::cough cough::

[barisaxy08]

  Tnilli said:

Everyone knows woodwinds are the weakest link ;-)

maybe at your school but in my school...it's the other way around. The woodwinds are more of the kiss brasses and the brass players are more "i can do bad all by myself"...so yeah.

[hebrontuba08]

we have quite a few "weak links" but thank goodness most of them are alternates. id say, the flutes, clarinets, and b-tones are hit hardest with them. the tubas are alright . . . besides the fact that we have 8 spots and only 7 marchable tuba players at the moment. which really sucks we were supposed to have like 9-11 tubas this year... oh well the ones that stayed are doin really good.

[SpringSax41]

Mainly, I think that they just don't really care about it. Beats me why they stick to marching band, but normally most of them are placed with mirrors and are in crew. But there are always going to be people that complain about it.

[whitewing09]

  Serardian said:

There's this one person that complains. About EVERYTHING.

 

"Our show music sucks."

"I can't make this in 16 counts."

"What time is it? What time is practice over?"

"It's hot!"

"We're not even gonna make State. Why are we still practicing?"

"I have lots of homework."

 

Seriously. SHUT UP. No one wants to hear it and it throws off concentration at rehearsal.

i hate people like that we have quite a few of those and i wish they would just quit

[Serardian]

Exactly. I know someone from a band that didn't qualify, and this person had complained all throughout marching season about how they hated band, hated practicing, even skipped practice sometimes, just because.

 

And then this person was angry because they had one good run in finals and didn't make state.

 

Hello? It takes a whole season's worth of dedication. You can't just turn it on in one night and expect results.

[aloneintherapy]

Yeah, I can't say I see any of that in my section, but i hear about it all the time from the other sections. We have some people in my section who struggle, but they try really hard. I hear horror stories from the woodwinds about people who are just not trying or purposely screwing up for some stupid reason. And then after we don't make state we have people wondering why. And people are saying that we won't get any better before Nationals, that we should quit now.

 

With that attitude we won't get any better, but I just dont know how to make them care.

[barisaxy08]

so do you guys feel like if there was a lot more encouragment and support among students in band programs then there would be better performances within the band??? Because honestly that's what i think a lot of bands (including ours) is lacking.

[Serardian]

Are you saying your band doesn't encourage each other?

 

Or do you mean Band A encouraging Band B, etc.

[aloneintherapy]

Yeah, that'd definitely help out alot. It also helps when other bands help drive each other. It meant alot to us when Westfield came by during a football game and said, hey guys, good luck at everything!

 

So yeah... greater encouragement in the bands definitely helps alot. The problem is getting the people who need it to actually listen, i guess...

[grn beret 2b]

In our band hall, there is a banner (at least, it used to be a banner) that says: "To all those who enter; you are subject to the relentless refining process of music, even through uncompromising standards". To put that in plain english, it says, "If you don't like it, quit."

[barisaxy08]

  Serardian said:

Are you saying your band doesn't encourage each other? 

 

Or do you mean Band A encouraging Band B, etc.

im talkin bout band members helping/supporting fellow band members

 

and im not saying that it doesn't occur at all...im jus saying that i believe that a lot more of it should be displayed so that you would be putting your band in a better situation for a competition and getting better and all that. You know how people seem to downtalk other people on how they march or sound, but then they don't take out the time to help them get better in any way. I jus think it hurts YOUR band program and you should be wanting to do something about it instead of letting it suck.

[LvKyo]

  Valsair said:

IMO, it's a number of people:

 

- the people that don't care.

- the people that don't care and make fun of people that DO care.

- the people that aren't where they need to be marching-wise (and don't do anything about it)

- the people that aren't where they need to be music-wise (and don't do anything about it)

 

so and so forth. not to mention the constant bitching at rehearsal, that doesn't help things. ever.

It always bugs me when people don't care. A lot of those people have quit band this year, so I guess I'm grateful for that.

 

I have to agree with the constant put-downs during practice being annoying. It really irks me when I'm frustrating myself to make sure I can get to my setpoints right while getting around someone who is marching too far back (and inmy way, somehow), and when I don't make my mid set spots, two people in my section in the line behind me yell at me.

 

The crazy thing is, I have plenty of complaints I could make about their marching in other parts of the show, but I'd rather them figure it out themselves instead of getting defensive and/or "bitchy" at me. -.-

 

(Please excuse the word in the last sentence.)