Internal Competition

[QuadraticBeats]

Our band does not do chair tests or serious pass-offs essentially at all, at least in the top band (kind've weird). Our percussion director had us audition for concert season with selections from the All-State music, which I totally screwed up because I hadn't practiced on it (I attempted to sightread two mallets and timpani). Our band got to no finals competitions, unlike last year. Our drumline, however, won best drumline in all the band contests we went to in our divisions and sixth place, along with best front ensemble, in Division II at Lone Star Classic... and we went from a crappy crappy group to beating better established lines with mainly freshmen and sophomores in one season. But that's besides the point... I'd like to hear from some members of bands that actually were strongly competitive in their activities this year.

[iplayband07]

whoa vista ridge! I go to The Woodlands HS.. but one of my friends moved and goes to Vista Ridge.. Margie.. you might know her i think she's pit captain

 

yah. but anyways

 

We have concert band auditions starting tomorrow. it's a blind audition (the directors don't know who plays.. we are all assigned a letter.. and the directors sit behind a curtain and one person goes in at a time and plays) we play a portion of the freshmen cuts of each all-state etude.. 2 major scales, and a chromatic scale.

 

then they'll post the results.. and you have two chances to challenge a player in the band above you.

 

for example.. 3rd chair 2nd band could challenge 4th chair 1st band. stuff like that.

 

then in January we have a chair test in each band.

 

thats the procedure we use for placing all of us in concert bands.

[itsstephenyo]

its pretty competitive at my school. pass offs are a very serious thing . usually they count for test grades. the auditions for concert season are blind and consist of all state music. there are also periodic chair tests during the year over random stuff.

[sax5warrior]

its pretty competitive at my school. pass offs are a very serious thing . usually they count for test grades. the auditions for concert season are blind and consist of all state music. there are also periodic chair tests during the year over random stuff.

chair tests are good, competition forces everyone to be better then their neighbor and they get better, if they get better, the band gets better

[chickora]

I would have to say.. We only have one chair test per semester. I am sure Mr. Christain knows what he is doing.

It takes lots of time to find chair placements and you have so little time to prepare concert peices. Think about it, chair tests take almost a week, in my band at least. It's a stressful job. It is also stressful on students because they have to keep learning different parts.

A band director doesn't have the time to get the person to be really good on that part..and you just can't afford the risk of constant changing of parts.

Middle school is not High school, where Miss T gave us a chair test every 6th weeks. That's only because she let us stay on our parts. I am sure Mr. Christain were to do that, that would be find, but I am sure that the main reason for chair test is to get different parts and to have the ego you want.

 

At our school I let you know more about it. We get one chair test per semester. RARELY, Doc would allow challenges. The first challenge goes to any person in your section. For example, 6 chair would want to challeng me, 1st chair. If she beats me she gets to get ahead of the other people and take my chair. If she loses, she remains 6th chair..and other challenges would have to won one at a time.

We turn in tapes, btw.

[TRtrumpet]

Hmmm I think the trumpets are the only section that got a chair test. It was with stupid pieces of our marching show. Thats the only chair test we had... I made 2nd chair. (First chair's a senior)

[Xukaniz]

We have already had Honor Band tryouts this year. The auditions are not blind, and anyone who wants to make honor band MUST try out. I personally got 2nd chair behind my rival, but I think it was because of politics (hes band captain). I will just have to whoop up on him in the All Region room.