Saxophone Forum


by Armstrong Alto!
(19 posts)
20 years ago

Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

Has anyone else noticed that saxophones rarely get yelled at for crappy playing in band? It's true for my band... But is it for everyone else?

Reply To Post [Report Abuse]

Report Abuse

Replies

  1. by Phosphorus
    (1 post)

    18 years ago

    Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

    In Junior High, our saxes always got yelled at because, well, they pretty much sucked. So this year, freshman year of highschool, we have no freshman saxes. They all quit. The upperclassmen saxes are awesome. The only freshie saxes we have now are clarinets and flutes that switch over for jazz (including myself).

    Reply To Post


  2. by gemster
    (51 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

    In my orchestra (yes we have saxes in our orchestra, but they are awesome and write their own parts from what we don't have or are short of), the saxes only really get yelled at because they don't concentrate or come in at the right time. And when the baris get a little over-enthusiastic.....But not for crappy playing. So yeah I think you're right, nice observation

    Reply To Post


  3. by Dark Eyes
    (138 posts)

    18 years ago

    Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

    In my band the saxes were the scapegoats of the instrumentation world. It seems as if the director had a personal vendetta against all of us. Seeing as how I was the only tenor player in a group of 40+ students and how there were only two altos and one bari it seemed as if I always got the brunt of this agression. For instance, one time we were preparing a piece for contest and as we were playing the director heard a wrong chord. Of course I heard this and knew that it was me who had played the wrong note and the director also knew this but he proceeded to go around the room and add every single person on the chord separately. Of course I was the last one and when I played my note (rather reluctantly) it sounded as if a cat had just had its tail run over. After all the laughing had ceased the director turned to me and started to question me. Ha Ha. The joke was on him because it was a wrong note in the part. I think that he just picked me out like that because he's envious that he never played sax. Trumpet player :-(

    Reply To Post


  4. by SaxMan
    (559 posts)

    20 years ago

    Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

    no - I live like crap when we get a crappy soloist up trying to play a million notes a second though.

    Reply To Post


    1. by saxgrobie
      (86 posts)

      20 years ago

      Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

      My section doesn't get yelled at either. (Go saxes!) We just get told to play louder, because there aren't enough of us! Seven saxes to 15 trumpets and all of them are so loud and so WRONG! Yuck. WE actually get the melody for once, and still the trumpets try to steal the show. LOL Kelsey

      Reply To Post AIM


      1. by The_MarkVI
        (80 posts)

        20 years ago

        Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

        Well last year in 8th grade, the crappy players usally dont play loud or dont play at all. So us first altos can cover them up because the 2nd part french horns (eww) can cover them up

        Reply To Post


    2. by vaggmann
      (8 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

      THE EXACT OPPISITE in my school band the sax and percussion are the only ones who get yelled were always playing too loud or too fast. i guess its also because the brass and other woodwinds are my dictator teacher's KBG toadies

      Reply To Post


    3. by webegoodsax
      (2 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

      in my band, the only section that gets yelled at is the percussion, because they always play when the director is talking, they really never stop playing, despite this, very few sections get yelled at for playing issues, i think our director has become an old softie, he'll be retiring next year though, meh.

      Reply To Post


    4. by Sax_Shark
      (134 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

      My band director seems to pick sections to yell at everyday. One day might be the saxes another day might be a trumpet day. It was kinda funny though.

      Reply To Post


    5. by John Coltrane
      (84 posts)

      20 years ago

      Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

      Well in our band wind ensemble, its like our best section, last yr are whole section did solo and ensemble and did class A and got 1's, i think they are just overall.

      Reply To Post Yahoo!


    6. by Goldref18
      (145 posts)

      20 years ago

      Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

      Ha. I want to go there. In my legit group at school it's like blame the saxes america. In my really good honors group it's more of a no one does anything wrong ever so no one gets yelled at thing, and in jazz the saxes rarely ever get the blame cuz we hold the band together while our trumpets do good and our bones drag along but ultimately we sound really good. Idk why but i guess sometimes saxes get the rap cuz they are the greatest. lol idk maybe just cuz usually they are among the most audible instruments.

      Reply To Post Yahoo! AIM


    7. by sax78016
      (6 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

      Yah thats true because most of the other sections in my band can't play

      Reply To Post


    8. by KingNecron
      (76 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

      Ha ha--yeah. Except when I was in high school we got yelled at for playing so much! Those were good times to be a sax player. I think saxophonists tend to just be a lot more passionate about band and everything, because it is the coolest instrument in band--even cooler than drums! Keep up the good work, and let me know how your Armstrong is working for you--I've been playing on one since 8th grade, and that was about seven years ago.

      Reply To Post AIM


    9. by BuffetSax
      (21 posts)

      18 years ago

      Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

      Yah... actually im in a pretty small private school band and we get yelled at for blasting constantly. We just play really loud. and our schools not big so we don't have a jazz band and or teacher is very very old and dosen't know anything about jazz. so even if i add something to the faster songs he gets pissed. but its still fun.

      Reply To Post


      1. by straightj23
        (103 posts)

        18 years ago

        Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

        I hope I can keep that sax section together next year. (I'll be section leader) Strangely, we've gotten complimented good on our marching rather than our playing. I feel I set an example when it comes to marching because even though I've never won the march-off at band camp, I'm one of the best marchers in the band. I can't wait until next year, because the saxes will be nothing short of awesome.

        Reply To Post Yahoo!


        1. by saxjunkie89
          (393 posts)

          18 years ago

          Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

          Wow, I haven't been to these forums in a while. NEXT YEAR we will have at least 3 freshman, 4 sophomores, 3 juniors, and 3 senior saxes (13). The three next year seniors don't really play, but one tries more than the other two. Juniors (incl. me) are on alto, tenor, and bari (me) in concert band. The sophomores are generally good, but have minor individual problems. Although I don't know much about the three next year freshman, all I know is our section is going to own my senior year! Oh, the only problems we have are tuning problems really. Nothing major

          Reply To Post


          1. by djazzy
            (65 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            In eighth grade there was only 3 saxes (including me) who were constantly yelled at for playing to loud. Now in high school (I moved to indianapolis) there are 15 saxes, 6 trumpets, and 1 clarinet. Quite unbalaced and still the trumpets get the melody!

            Reply To Post


          2. by SaxPlayer324
            (4 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            haha i wish i could say that, but I think the saxes get yelled at just as much as anyother section.. well not necessarily yelled at, but told to work on things and play stuff better. Although, my band last year had three tenors, and im not gonna lie, we almost always had our parts down really well. Although, it was probably because there were only three of us.

            Reply To Post


          3. by Joe Hamilton
            (8 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            I am yelled at contantly, because i am the best in the state and my director hates me for it. so he put me in the shitty band class with 50 others. there is 1 saxophone besides me, and she is alto and she sucks....I get yelled at when she plays something wrong or if im not playing loud enough..my director just hates my guts. I get all the solos though XD

            Reply To Post AIM


          4. by connsaxman_jim
            (2336 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            Joe, Sometimes it's hard to understand the way band directors think. I had a band director once who put me in the concert band when I was a far better player than both of the alto players he promoted to Symphonic band. When I asked him why, he said that he needed me in Concert band. We had more brass instruments in Concert band than woodwinds. There were only three saxophones. I played tenor, and we had a girl on alto, and another guy on baritone. Neither of them were terrible, but they didn't have as much experience playing as I did. I did what I could to help, and my director rewarded me with lots of solos. I didn't have the greatest attitude in the beginning. I fought him with everything he suggested to me. I thought he didn't like me either. I was pretty arrogant. I was convinced that I was far better than he was giving me credit for. Later, he explained that having me in the band made a huge difference, and that not only did he need a good tenor player to keep up with the brass section, but that he knew that I could assist the other horns and make them better. At that point, I stopped looking at it as a punishment and more of a great opportunity. I doubt that your director "hates your guts". I would suggest talking to him about your feelings, and maybe taking a look at your own attitude. Sometimes when we take a good look at our own attitudes, we find room for improvement. Good luck, Jim

            Reply To Post Yahoo!


          5. by Joe Hamilton
            (8 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            I was hoping that was the case but i was proved wrong when he told me that he hated me and he wished i wasnt even in band, although im his best student. Hes pretty old and stingy, and he has 100 kids in the symphonic upperclass band and 50 in concert, he promotes people like it doesnt matter, but he refused to promote me. I told him that i had audition results to prove i was good enough, I placed 195 out of like 200 for all-district band which was the highest score out of anybody who auditioned for any instrument, i did this as a freshman. I did better than even the seniors but just said, i dont want you in my higher class, i hate you. w/e the parents got him to promote me this upcoming school year so im happy XD

            Reply To Post AIM


          6. by KingNecron
            (76 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            Did he really say he hated you? I find that hard to believe, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to hyperbole.

            Reply To Post AIM


          7. by Joe Hamilton
            (8 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            yes he did. He's done it several times now. one of the big reasosns is because im better than his son who is in band

            Reply To Post AIM


          8. by gemster
            (51 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            Ouch thats harsh, him saying he hated you... I know this sounds like a cop out, but the nicer u are to him, the more difficult it should be for him to be evil to you. And if he still is, he just looks really unreasonable.. good luck to you though

            Reply To Post


          9. by KingNecron
            (76 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            Right--turn the other cheek. Passive resistance, non-violence, all that good stuff.

            Reply To Post AIM


          10. by CountSpatula
            (602 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            Band Directors can be evil... I remember first year of learning sax, our teacher punched one of the kids (anger problems...) cuz he couldn't play something very well...and then he got fired... And also I remember my dad telling me when they had a drum rehearsal, a kid said a joke about the band and the director came out, picked him up by his shirt and pushed him into some empty drum barrells (or whatever you want to call them) and he got fired too...gee... Oh well done sharing past evil experiences.=)

            Reply To Post AIM


          11. by KingNecron
            (76 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            Must be the overwhelming responsibility, gnawing away at them, constantly rearing its ugly head.

            Reply To Post AIM


          12. by Saxalope
            (7 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            My son just started high school, and the band experience switched from "Mr Holland's Opus" to Svengali crossed with Vince Lombardi. The main emphasis seems to be on FUNDRAISING and keeping up with the band next door (don't even get me started on that evil woman in charge of the booster club). Does anyone else have 12-hr marching practices?

            Reply To Post


          13. by Sax_Shark
            (134 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            12 hrs? Was this for band camp? That's how we do it in my band for band camp anyway. That's kinda normal though - hard, but normal.

            Reply To Post


          14. by saxmachine777
            (57 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            Yeesh... twelve hours? We did eight a day in band camp when I was in school, but never twelve. That's a long time to be marching and playing. Anyway, being out of high school as I am, I shouldn't really be here, but the thread was too appropriate for me to pass up. My cronies and I formed a sax quartet in our sophomore year, so when we made top wind ensemble, four of the five of us were quite adept while playing with one another. As a result, we had an extremely tight section and were never reprimanded in band. Saxes just wail, I guess. I think every section with the opportunity should form chamber sax ensembles to aid sectional playing and musical growth as a whole. Keep saxes on top of the school band system, and remember, saxes should always strive to be the most serious players in the band, but never look like it (Just kidding. I'm just reminiscing about how it was for me back in school.).

            Reply To Post AIM


          15. by Joe Hamilton
            (8 posts)

            18 years ago

            Re: Hmmm...Anyone else notice this?

            sounds fun

            Reply To Post AIM