Winter Brass Lines

[ffernbus3]

The most limiting factor in drum corps musicianship, I believe, is having to play the same charts over and over all year long. This make for better musical technique but it is the reading of many different styles of charts that makes for better all around musicanship. In the studio that's where time is money and the better reader you are,. the more versatile musician you are and the better your chances of the contractor calling you for the next gig.

I have had this coversation with many of my professional musician friends, all of whom were first to be called, and we came to the conclusion that it is the versatility of the musician to play what's on the stand that gets him/her hired, not how well he can play the same thing over and over again.

In professional music the competition is not between units but between people competing for the same job. It's more serious because it is about getting that check and knowing that there's hundreds of players who want your job.

RON HOUSLEY

[brassguymike]

My point is that practicing an 11 minute show for however many months will probably make you a better player, but not a better musician.

Okay, so I think we need to define somethings here. What do you consider a musician and what do you consider a player? What's the difference between the two?

If you don't understand the difference, you must not be in a very good concert program.

Yeah, you're correct. I'm not in a very good concert program. But I guess the Midwest Clinic's board of directors must have thought differently when I was conducting on stage at Midwest in front of 3000 band directors from across the globe.

I agree that practicing an 11 minute show doesn't help you become a better sight-reader, but I think it can help you become more proficient on your instrument. If you take that work-ethic and use it with all your music, just imagine what would happen. Heck... imagine if you take that work-ethic and apply it to your life....

Most, if not all, of the top BOA bands don't just happen to have incredible concert programs, they understand the impact the concert season has on the marching season.

Most top BOA bands have incredible directors and students. They understand that what happens in any musical setting (be it marching band, jazz band, concert band, small ensembles, solos) can positively effect every other musical setting. Most enjoy having a well-rounded musical experience.

If your only focus is marching (corps or band), you've severly limited your musical experience.

I don't think anyone said anything about just focusing on marching. There are 24 hours in day. It is possible to practice marching band and concert band in the same day. Just reminded me of a story the guy I teach with was telling me the other day. His dad once told him... "Ross Perot has the same 24 hours in day as you and he's a billionaire. What are you doing with your 24 hours?"

Back to your quote...

If your only focus is concert band, then you're severely limiting your musical experience. What about jazz band, orchestra, chamber winds, and even marching band?

[ffernbus3]

(Post deleted at my request)

Edited April 15, 2003 by ffernbus3

[pitn0926]

I guess both Dave and Mike are totally missing my point. Being a good player does not make you a good musician. Just because you hit all the right notes doesn't mean you played the piece musically. Heck, Finale can play all the right notes, but it's not musical. I do agree that drum corps can help a person become technically more proficient and the having better technique can help you be more musical, but they are two separate things. It's all about creating your own ideas of how a piece should be played. In corps, the brass staff sets the style and everyone follows that, which is what an ensemble judge wants to hear.

I've been around so many brass players who could play the snot out of their show, but put some Mozart in front of them and they fall flat on their face. They might get the right notes, but it's like listening to Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, though not so funny.

Mike, I never said you weren't a good musician, I'm sure you are. And it seems as though you think I don't see the values drum corps has to offer, which I did mention in another post that drum corps has many incredible aspects. I loved being in drum corps and am all the better for having marched. And I don't think I would still be going to shows every year for twelve years if I didn't see the value.

I'm not in any way bashing marching band/drum corps. All I'm saying is that concert programs are a more effective medium for learning good musicianship, so I wouldn't want my students to be in a marching program year round (which is what my original post was supposed to be about). Most high schoolers don't have the time to both a concert program and a winter marching program and I'd hate see kids choose the winter brassline over the concert programs. Also, when I use the term "concert program", that does include jazz, orchestra, etc., not just concert band.

[Dave]

But in a concert program, you still have someone else deciding how a piece should be played. The director determines the musical content of a piece; if you had a concert band where every single member was doing something different based on their own interpretations, it wouldn't sound very good. In ensembles in general, that's the way it is. In my brass quintet we decide together and with our coach how a piece should be played, and sometimes someone else has an idea that ends up getting used that affects how I play a part; that's just the way it goes. By your definition of musicianship, then, the only place you can really practice it is in solo work, because there isn't necessarily someone else telling you what to do.

[pitn0926]

Dave, I do see your point. The conductor does have the final say over how a piece should be played and, yes, it would sound bad if everybody played the piece as though they were a soloist. But, there is much more room for expression in the concert setting than there is on the marching field (unless you're a soloist). My directors always gave the members the freedom to use their own creativity as long as it fit within the context of the piece (meaning, you wouldn't play Mozart the way you'd play Beethoven and vice versa).

Your brass quintet is a perfect example of what I am talking about. The five of you, plus your coach, decide how the piece should be played and, hopefully, everybody's ideas are taken into consideration. Whereas in drum corps, the staff leads you through how they want you to play the music. Like I said before, that's the only way to make drum corps work properly. But your brass quintet has the total freedom to play the piece how you, the quintet, wants to play it.

[Dave]

Even then, though, there really is no such situation where you are perfectly free to play a piece exactly how we like it. Even in solo work, if you have a teacher, they have their input into how you play it. And, of course, there's the composer: he's included his own instructions both in the musical markings in the score, and in any notes he's provided. My point is, there's always the viewpoint of others you have to take into consideration when playing something.

Is drum corps the ultimate, perfect musical idiom? Hardly. But I think it is part of a well-rounded musical education, and I wish more people would take part in it so they could see the benefits it has.

[pitn0926]

I agree with you completely. There are many things that can't be learned by sitting in wind ensemble, etc., that drum corps/marching band provides. I love the competition and the drive for excellence and the comraderie that I experienced while I was in corps and also when I'm teaching. But the more we downplay the importance of concert programs I believe will be detrimental to music activities as a whole, including marching programs. I've seen too many students, and directors for that matter, treat concert season as no more than marching band's off season. The percussionists care more about WGI than they do about playing in concert band. Why, because their program has become so focused on competition that they've overlooked the values of the concert season. Yes, you could have a concert band without doing marching band, or vice versa, but together (with equal focus) they create a better environment for everybody.

[Dave]

I'll agree with that. Equally annoying to me are directors who treat marching band (and drum corps, and winter drumline, etc.) as simply things that interfere with "regular" band. They don't take advantage of the educational opportunities they afford and end up with all their bands having kids that really don't care about it. I think more band directors need to keep in mind that the marching band is the most visible part of their program, whether they like it or not, and as such ought to be rehearsed with as much care and effort as any other part of their program.

[brassguymike]

Dustin,

I didn't miss your point. I was pretty sure I knew what you were saying, I was just expressing my thoughts and trying to get you to present your ideas where everyone could understand your viewpoint. Through your examples, you defined what you mean by a player and a musician. In your later posts, you detailed your ideas in such a way where we can all understand and appreciate your viewpoint.

I know you didn't say I wasn't a good musician. It's just your comment on "If you don't understand the difference, you must not be in a very good concert program." made me laugh and well, I'm a smart *$$ and since I wasn't sure how you were differentiating between a player and a musician, I had to reply as I did. No harm done.

I'm sure you realize the values corps has to offer.

I wouldn't always agree that concert programs are a more effective medium for learning good musicianship, though. Ideally, yes a concert program is a great way to work on "good musicianship." But far too many directors simply work on contest music and that's it. I know many a director that start working on their contest music right after marching season. They spend 6 months preparing 3 pieces of music and that's it. I like to read all kinds of music and work on music that is a bit too challenging during the winter. Then I'll pick something a bit easier that we can play the snot out of to take to contest. We do 6 concerts a year just to keep challenging our kids and putting more literature in front of them.