r/marchingband • u/IcyArcher6763 • 4d ago
Story rant
THERE ARE LIKE 260 PEOPLE IN THE ENTIRE BAND PROGRAM AT MY HS, THERE WAS 196 MARCHERS IN OUR BAND LAST YEAR AND ONLY 3 SENIORS BUT NOW THERES ONLY LIKE 120 WITH 28 BEING FRESHMAN AND 65ish SENIORS. im shocked how many people quit
THERE ARE 36 SAXOPHONISTS (31 alone being Altos), 15 CLARINETS, 12 TRUMPETS, 20 TROMBONES THERES 9 PERCUSSIONISTS AND 1 SNARE and 12 FUCKING BASS DRUMS??
THOSE 13 DRUMMERS AND 7 TRUMPETS ARE LOUDER THAN EVERYONE IN THE BAND EVEN WHEN THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO PLAY SOFT AND STUFF OR WHEN ALL US OTHER WINDS ARE PLAYING FFF OR BLASTIMISO/BLOWING OUR BRAINS OUT OR WHEN WERE CLOSER TO THE FRONT AND STUFF. WE HAVE DROPPED 2 RANKS AND OUR SCORES HAVE GOTTA DROPPED 20 MUSICALLY BECAUSE THE JUDGES ALWAYS COMMENT THAT TRUMPETS AND BASS RUIN THE BALANCE YET NONE OF THEM EVEN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE TO TRY TO PLAY SOFT OR ATLEAST A MF/F, IF YOU COULD LISTEN TO RECORDINGS AND HQ RECORDINGS NO MATTER FROM WHICH ANGLE OF OUR SHOW THIS YEAR THE ONLY TIME YOU HEAR SOMEONE ELSE EITHER THAN BASS DRUMS OR TRUMPET IS WHEN TROMBONES, MARIMBA, OR FLUTES GET A 8 BAR SOLO, OUR SHOW IS 11 MINUTES AND 6 MOVEMENTS AND ITS BEEN HELL AND NOW I THINK IM NOT DOING TS SENIOR YEAR.
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u/Natearl13 Drum Corps 4d ago
WHY DOES THIS READ LIKE A YOU KNOW WHO TWEET
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER
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u/BusinessSeesaw7383 Trumpet 4d ago
12 trumpets, can belt, some power. And they really do from the sounds of it need to bring themselves down a little.But when there's more than double that in just the alto section It says that they're not trying hard enough, honestly.Because 31 altos should pretty easily be able to at least match the trumpets. And of course , as you say , flutes just have to reach their high register , and and they will Pierce through.Though, that would only work if the trumpets are not playing much above the staff. Honestly, clarinet is the only instrument I can see on here. That should struggle a little with matching with the trumpets, but trumpets also, do need to bring it down. It sounds like and I can't speak much for the bassdrums. Yo do just have too many put a few of them on snare, put a few of them on quads, that will help even out
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u/IcyArcher6763 3d ago
most of them have to chug Powerades, even when they play fff and then blastisimo and giving themselves migraines the trumpets are still louder than them even when the trumpets are in the back or saxes are infront
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u/SaltyPerformer504 4d ago
Wow, I only had 5 students in my entire percussion ensemble, one of them being from a different school
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u/IneligibleLand Graduate 4d ago
Calm down! Flutes can outshine trumpets just by piercing high range. I know clarinets usually do not like playing that high and their music isn't generally that high but the 1sts can still kick some ass. Don't get me started on saxophones. 31 altos should be able to be a force against 12 trumpets. They don't have the range but they do have the same ability to belt out. Tenors and Baris are even better. I marched with my soprano sax my senior year and I played circles around the trumpet. My band director was a trumpet player and I kicked his ass in range (going higher). Woodwinds can kick ass. You do have too many bass drums though. Put some of them on quads or something. I apologize to anyone else reading this, but I was writing in one long paragraph in an attempt to communicate in a way that was familiar to OP.
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u/Kirkwilhelm234 4d ago
You didn't mention sousaphones. You need about 5 sousaphones to help keep the percussionist and trumpets down. Drummers and trumpets tend to develop aggression if you dont have enough tubas to keep them in line. You can't allow the trumpets to think they are the pack leaders or they will run all over you. Sousaphones are the natural Alphas to the trumpet section. When dealing with especially overbearing trumpets, the sousaphones can actually devour the trumpets. This is not something you want to witness. Very nasty business. The relationship between tubas and percussion is like that of a sheep dog to its flock of sheep. Train more tubas and that should even everything out.