Around our region of the northwest, band programs are thriving. We just had our annual 'HS Invitation Band Day' and the performance level and quality was very high. Isn't it nice to see a high school band with a harp player?!! I think bands are doing well. I'm writing more for bands now, there is plenty of creativity room here. On the other hand, horn players are still in the minority, and are often seen in smaller numbers in the bands. Did somebody get the word out that horn is a difficult instrument, or that they couldn't play jazz? Not really true on either count. Isn't horn EASY, cheap and portable? I was listening to our symphony string section play some pretty complicated stuff recently, and remarked that I 'sure was glad I picked an easy instrument!' ...but I digress.
Bob Dickow Lionel Hampton School of Music -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Monday, February 01, 2010 3:34 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Hornlist] reassurance, band boredom, and a question, etc. I guess not all high school band programs are created equally. When I was in high school, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we had 16 eager horn players, eight each on double horns in two full size concert bands. We played wonderful arrangements with lovely horn parts written just for horns. I do remember, though, having a bit of an attitude about having to play some silly show tune for a concert and resenting it because we had to carry the upbeats. (I got kicked out of band one day for rolling my eyes when it was time to rehearse it!) We horn players felt we had paid our up-beat dues during marching season and didn't feel we owed the band any more up-beat support after marching season was over. (Imagine being a drummer.) So I can appreciate the frustration high school horn players might have if they are in small band programs with limited instrumentation and one-size-fits-all arrangments. Seems like high school band programs are getting smaller all the time. Valerie Wells http://www.beforhorn.blogspot.com/ ____________________________________________________________ Weight Loss Program Best Weight Loss Program - Click Here! http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2131/c?cp=_4JBXEuZ34Lb1FaEJBtswwAAJz2tEP jwKKiSDPsz4fU1aV0DAAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEUgAAAAA= _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/dickow%40uidaho.edu _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
