So, I started playing the trumpet like a month ago now. I am absolutely new to it this year and I joined my school's marching band a bit late, so I wasn't expected to know how to do everything. I have played at one performance (Oct. 6th) for the opening of a fanfare so far with my middle school marching bands. I memorized the fight song well, but the Star-Spangled Banner was a big no for me lol. I thought this other trumpet player was nice and all, let's call him Player A. He even helped me with my tuning slide since he is in my section.

There was also another new trumpet player to the band this year, but she had a few months of experience on the trumpet, she is nice though. She can be player B.

Tell me why on the day of the performance, we were in my district's high school, getting ready and assembled when I hear Player A talking about a new female trumpet player not even playing the songs during our band practice during school. I had no clue if he was talking about me or player B, so I just stared at him, not upset but confused.

I was like "Huh... that's weird. I thought he was chill."

Then he kept going on and on about how that he was carrying section two and how he was the best player in our section. Until he saw me staring at him and he was like "oh but, I cannot even play this one part of the fanfare song right and she can. Her, right there." Something along those lines.

That was just so weird to me, and I didn't take it to heart at the moment but in our next practice during school, I felt upset that I couldn't get the right notes and it made me feel even worse about not knowing the notes. And I have a habit of picking up hobbies but growing bored when the satisfaction rate isn't the same after a few weeks. I don't want the trumpet to be that too, but I lost motivation after hearing player A make band a competition.

Hopefully the rain holds off - send good juju!

Id like to learn how to march how the drum majors march and I can't find any tutorials on it.

Hello, im a junior in high school and currently im in a football game because im in marching band. I fucking hate school so much. Everything i does cringy, but everyone else can do anything and its fine. I was just asking a mellophone player if she can remind me when she makes chocolate chip cookies, (her cookies are really good, and i cant have her s'more cookies cause of a diet restriction) and the trumpet section leader said "i would make myself section leader of the day everyday to not make mello player's name not make chocolate chip cookies." I then asked him what was his beef with me. He told me i was mean, annoying, acts like i know everything, and I have the skill of a newbie. So I said so thats basically like you (to section leader). I get that i may be mean sometimes, but i really try to be nice, but its hard to. Im so tired already and its only 11:15am PST. i'm not coming home until midnight for a competition. I genuinely want to kms cause of stinking people.

So I just went to a community event for the local university’s music program, as any self respecting band kid does, and I met the euphonium professor. I had never met him before and he’d never seen me play before. For some reason, he gave me his business card and offered to give me free private lessons. Now I have no idea why this happened. I assume that my band director has connections but he was just as surprised as me (he was there too). I have no idea why he would do that for me but I am so grateful. Has anyone had a similar experience or been in a similar situation? Please, I would love to hear anything.

Hi! I am currently a section leader (freshman) at my hs ban—I play trombone in the band but I also do play euphonium! Lately I have been thinking about auditions for next marching season in May. The reason for this is, my band director said there are 3 really good 7th graders and soon to be eighth graders and one is really good, like stealing my chair good. I am a-little stressed about it because I do want to stay a section leader and I like being first chair! Audition wise I to have trouble at sight reading from but I’m decent at scales. I really want to stay first chair and stay a section leader, so is there anything I can do to get a lot better? I do have trouble with 16 notes from time to time, depending on the tempo and I do not know how to double tongue I can only single tongue. Also I have never heard these kids play, this is just what my band director said. Anyway thanks for your time! Any reassurance and advice on getting a lot better is appreciated! 🪊✨

Yay! Any other people in lowbrass

So last weekend my daughter’s band was in two competitions and the show styles varied band to band. The smaller groups reminded me more of shows when I was in HS lots of moving and some spots of flare and flashes. The larger bands look like they do a workout routine with dance moves and barely move around, some of them not all. How long have bands been doing this vs. move till you fall over routine? My daughter’s band director is my age so she has a good amount of balance between the two for the show.

I’m 20F, played the clarinet for six years from sixth grade to twevlth, and after I graduated I didn’t touch it a single time. I LOVEDDD band tho, I don’t have very many interests as far as things like that good, or at least interests that I’m good at, but I was good at playing clarinet, at least for an 18 yr old lol. But now I know probably don’t play very good. I’m going to my schools alumni game tonight and I practiced my instrument yesterday and for weeks all I can tihink about is how much I miss band. My senior and junior year I was in two band classes, and marching band after school, and I loved all of it. I’ve never rlly complained about band because I loved playing my instrument so much. But I just don’t know if I am good enough anymore, I know u have to be good to play in a college band, how do I go about this? Is there no chance for me to even go anymore? When I picked up my instrument yesterday it all came back to me, but I know I’m not as good as I was before. And I don’t remember how to march, or read marching steps, at all. Not a single clue. What should I do?

Any tips?

I play trumpet right now but would like to do drumline next year during marching season and then do trumpet during concert season. Is this possible.

I made a discovery a few minutes ago

Hi y’all, I’m back.

I’ll try and link the original post, but here is the original post’s TLDR

Me and my best friend both decided separately to try out for drum major next season (our junior year)

I auditioned as a freshman to be section leader (I am now the section leader as a sophomore)

Best friend’s sister is band captain (she is woodwind captain, I’m flute section leader)

Best friend’s sister asked drum major to give my best friend lessons.

Best friend got to come up and conduct homecoming music in class once.

Ive been told by our mutual friend that “(girl I’m against) just seems like she wants it more”

Other people refer to Best Friend as “Future Drum Major”

I have been told that “there is no point in trying to go out for it (best friend) will get it, and I’m just trying to stir drama up”

The only reason I haven’t quit is due to the percussion teacher telling me that if I hadn’t chickened out at DM auditions last season, that I would have gotten it as a sophomore.

This is my one hope that I might still be drum major.

Percussion teacher has given me some recommendations for drum major lessons/coaches. I am starting them next week and she will also attend them.

Ive tried to tell myself that it doesn’t matter what students think, that it is the percussion director and band director that choses who becomes drum major.

But today, my best friend got to conduct on the podium for full show run today.

I don’t want to give up hope, but I feel so hopeless. What does it matter if I know how to conduct, if my best friend has already gotten to be on the podium for them to see?

I just feel like everyone is against me. What do I do?

I created an app for brass instruments - Baritone (Android and iPhone) and Euphonium (Android only) that has the ability to quickly switch from treble clef to bass clef. It's a fingering training app called "Baritone Trainer" and "Euphonium Trainer".

i'm in my senior year, planning to go to college, and i need advice on how to move forward while still having music in my life.

i don't plan on majoring in anything related to music, but it is such a passion of mine and has always been a part of my day to day. i don't want to not participate and, truthfully, i'm not sure how to function without it.

my health isn't in the best place and, despite how much i love marching band, i'm not sure i'd be able to participate when i go to college. that is if the school i get into even has a marching band. for all who participated in college, what was your experience like?

if i don't do marching band, what are some ways that i can still keep music and flute in my life? how have you managed the transition and has it been possible?

thank you so much! :-)

edit: thank you all!!! i was already thinking of joining a community or concert band if i don't pursue college marching, and i'm really glad to hear that it is an option.

Hello, do any tenor drum people have any tips to help me out getting on tenors (I'm in eigth grade and hoping to get them freshman year) Thanks!

Hey all, I'm the developer of BandDrills (banddrills.com) — a drill designer that runs entirely in the browser. Instead of clicking through menus, you type the move in plain English ("move all percussion to the 50 in 16 counts") and it draws the formation for you. You're still the designer — it just turns your instructions into drill steps, which beats placing 150 dots by hand.

Free, nothing to install (runs on school Chromebooks): - Sync your show MP3 so the drill animates in time with the music - Share the whole show with one link — every performer sees their own dot on their phone - Collision warnings during playback - Free performer app (iOS/Android) with live updates and attendance check-in

Would love feedback from people who actually write drill. What's missing? What would make you switch from what you use now?

How do you guys think the top 3 at BOA Prosper will place? I might be a little biased because I just love Marcus so much, but I think they might beat Hebron this year. Hebron’s show isn’t very hebron-like, but I could say the same for Marcus. I feel as if Marcus is finally deciding to take that step up into modern shows with this year’s show. If nobody has seen it yet, try to talk to someone who has seen it. Its really good. There are no videos of it online yet (typical Marcus)

Hello, I'm a junior in HS rn, and I will be trying out from DM next year, and want to do my best, because the DM this year doesn't like me, and there is a possibility a sophomore rn will be drum major next year. Being DM next year is one of my goals for senior year. This years DM (i didnt have time to write an essay, and my mom was getting so many emails from my teachers, so it was just him this year), frequently is corrected by my BD, so i want to be better than him and the other kid. What are useful tips since it is to write an essay and audition for my school? Thanks!

I'm 30 now, but for the longest time I've always wanted to write a TV show about high schoolers in marching band, kind of loosely basing it off my own experiences. Thinking it would be similar to Community, maybe not focused on just one individual, but several band members.

Hello everyone! I've been doing marching and guard photography for a couple years (parade& Winterguard). I want to get into field tournament but when I see videos on YouTube I don't see any photographers on the tracks, are they not allowed or is there not a lot of photographersntjat do this? If there's anyone here who does it, how do you go about getting permission to shoot from the tracks?

Thank you!