What chair are you/honer bands.

Lauren · Post by **Lauren** » Mon Jan 24, 2005 8:54 pm

No, I didn't say everyone on here wasn't dedicated. Oh ya I got 8th chair in honer band if anyone cares haha

MeLizzard · Post by **MeLizzard** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:20 am

Congratulations on your various accomplishments, guys, but I'll have to agree with the other posters in saying chairs aren't necessarily a good criterion for deciding who's best. (And, of course, there's ALWAYS someone better someplace, right?) Chairs are only relative within your own group. In one local school, two of my students push each other along every day. One is a senior, so she has a slight advantage over the younger girl, who happens to be a stunning player (great sightreading!!). Said younger student just left a junior high band which endured chair tests almost weekly; or, at least until the band booster president's daughter had first chair, lol! My student wound up with THIRD chair, and spent the rest of the year answering questions ("what's the fingering?", etc.) from the two higher chairs. The senior just made all-state (also a relative accomplishment), playing piccolo, of which only two are selected. Is she a fine piccoloist? Yes. Is she the BEST piccoloist? Maybe not. But she was on the day of the audition. A former student who is graduating from college this spring NEVER (despite being a really good flutist) received such a distinction, BUT got a full college music scholarship. So enjoy being competitive and trying to get a high chair placement, but remember to enjoy the experience of making music, or, in the case of honor bands or music festivals, making music and new friends..., much more than the fleeting, insecure, relative "first chair" (though it's fun to sit there

). There truly IS life after school band.

Be considerate and respectful to everyone in your band. After all, unlike a football team, with bench jockeys, everyone in the band plays. And a band is only as strong as its weakest members. Support the others in their efforts to improve--everybody wins!!

MeLizzard · Post by **MeLizzard** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:21 am

Congratulations on your various accomplishments, guys, but I'll have to agree with the other posters in saying chairs aren't necessarily a good criterion for deciding who's best. (And, of course, there's ALWAYS someone better someplace, right?) Chairs are only relative within your own group. In one local school, two of my students push each other along every day. One is a senior, so she has a slight advantage over the younger girl, who happens to be a stunning player (great sightreading!!). Said younger student just left a junior high band which endured chair tests almost weekly; or, at least until the band booster president's daughter had first chair, lol! My student wound up with THIRD chair, and spent the rest of the year answering questions ("what's the fingering?", etc.) from the two higher chairs. The senior just made all-state (also a relative accomplishment), playing piccolo, of which only two are selected. Is she a fine piccoloist? Yes. Is she the BEST piccoloist? Maybe not. But she was on the day of the audition. A former student who is graduating from college this spring NEVER (despite being a really good flutist) received such a distinction, BUT got a full college music scholarship. So enjoy being competitive and trying to get a high chair placement, but remember to enjoy the experience of making music, or, in the case of honor bands or music festivals, making music and new friends..., much more than the fleeting, insecure, relative "first chair" (though it's fun to sit there

). There truly IS life after school band.

Be considerate and respectful to everyone in your band. After all, unlike a football team, with bench jockeys, everyone in the band plays. And a band is only as strong as its weakest members. Support the others in their efforts to improve--everybody wins!!

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 9:54 am

I greatly appreciate your comments, MeLizzard. I also have a student in Middle School band who has been through a similar experience. She has been playing for two years longer than the rest of the band, but has not maintained first chair, even though she placed highest of all of her section members in district auditions and has won several competitions, etc. For the past year, she has been everywhere from first to fourth in the section. She gets quite upset when she is the only one who can play some of the music. In reality, she has a great chance at making it in the music world, if that is what she chooses. Will all of the chair business matter in the end? More than likely not. After all, which looks better on a resume: first chair in band or national competition winner with several years of private study?

flutegirl49 · Post by **flutegirl49** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 12:36 am

Lauren wrote:I got 1st chair! ...and I'm only 16 min. away from my goal of 1000min on my practice log (we get one every 1/4). There is 5 days left so I think i'll probably go over.

...and fluttiegirl, thanks for raining on our parades, lol.

Everybody on here says they are first chair...I have a feeling that not everybody is telling the truth....

WHY? i think most people that would even think to come on a flute message board would be the most dedicated to flute and most interested in flute.. I'm not surprised that most are 1st chair...

and wow somethings you say are kind of rude--think before u post hm?

also i am not first chair.. more like.. 1st flute but end of the row

but i think i deserve to be up 2 spots. but that is how things go... the band im in is the highest in our school and we have VERY good flute players so there is a lot of competition

Phineas · Post by **Phineas** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:19 am

Just because a person is or isnt first chair is not reflection on a person's ability to play. I have been in different bands/groups/orchestras where I could easily smoke the first chair. I think EXPERIENCE more than anything dictates who is in the section leader position.

The most important thing is playing your part to the best of your ability. The whole idea of playing music is to MAKE music, not play politics.

This does not take away from the accomplishments of the people that make first chair. Congratulations!!!! Just remember there has to be more than 1 chair for you to be assigned to the first one.

As far a dedication is concerned, this also has nothing to do with playing ability. Dedication goes far beyond how you play, or if you post on a message board. Dedication is how seriously you handle the tasks given to you. A bum is a bum whether they are artists or not.

Phineas

Kendall · Post by **Kendall** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 4:04 pm

I'm fourth chair.

efhsBlueRegiment · Post by **efhsBlueRegiment** » Fri Feb 04, 2005 3:26 pm

hey, ya'll i'm new here, but newayz, i waz noticin that a lot of ppl said they were 1st chair, but that dosen't necessarly mean you're the best, it just means you're the best @ your school and, depending on wether or not your school has a lot of good players, that dosen't mean you're really that good

notootsieno · Post by **notootsieno** » Fri Mar 04, 2005 7:30 pm

Hey, I totally agree with what everyone is saying. I used to be OBSESSED about being first chair in junior high, but now I'm having more fun with it and not caring whether someone beats me or not.

And congrats on making 8th chair in honors band. I have honors band auditions tomorrow!

I made fourth chair at all-district (the top four flutes from every district get to try out for all-state), and there are 6 districts. Yes, the competition is going to be tough. But I realize that even if I don't make it, it's not the end of the world. The people who matter in my life won't think any less of me if I don't make it.

Picc_Chick · Post by **Picc_Chick** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 12:31 pm

^ Is exactly what I'm thinking. No one will blame you if your not sitting in first chair! Its not like someone is going to creep up behind you in the dead of night with a knife or anything! Things happen for reasons and it will all work out in the end. So, why worry about it? I sit last chair in my schools top band and I know that I'm a great player but the other four ahead of me are even better so I work harder to make them work harder. It has been almost a ten years since there has been a freshmen sitting in the top band here, I'm just glad that I can learn from them before they leave for college. In two years I will be the only one from this year left and then I know that I will be ready to take on what ever is thrown at me because I will have the skill to do so. I honestly don't want to sit first right now, if I did, I know that I would let the section down. My director told me after I played in the last chair test we had that I could be sitting second or even first chair if I were at another school and he asked if I ever felt down because of where I was sitting. I told him that I wasn't and that I was simply enjoyed to be able to learn from the four ahead of me. Only time will tell who sits where and the only way to get there is if your work hard and learn from others who have the experance and guidence that will help you become a better player.

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 8:48 pm

Very mature comments. I wish you the best of luck! I wish that my students would all have the same attitude:)

zephyrr · Post by **zephyrr** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 3:23 am

I'm in seconds =)

My band only has 1sts and 2nds, so yeah. Used to be in 1sts, this year in 2nds. Being in 2nds is actually not as bad as many imagine, the parts I play are quite nice too. It takes some experience to play 2nds parts too, cos of the many lower notes and harmony and countermelodies and all that.

anyway, band playing shouldnt be about which chair you're in, cos the chair you're in doesnt determine how good you are. sitting on ur laurels wont help either. =)

happy fluting =)

Leedthomson · Post by **Leedthomson** » Fri Apr 22, 2005 3:46 pm

I am 1st chair 2nd flute in my band. And 1st flute in marching band. There's not much of a difference difficulty wise between first and 2nd flute. The 2nd flutes have to play tricky things with very low notes that aren't always comfortable for people to play. 1st flutes have higher notes, and I sometime's think that its easier for 1st flutes. I can't compete until next year but i have all intentions to, i think it will be very fun! Congrats to everyone here that has made any sort of accomplishment!

Halsey · Post by **Halsey** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 5:22 pm

I'm first chair and I have the Bill Cane Shollarshi[ to back it up. It's awarded to the underclassmen flute player with the most potential

Halsey · Post by **Halsey** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 5:23 pm

I'm first chair and I have the Bill Cane Shollarshi[ to back it up. It's awarded to the underclassmen flute player with the most potential

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What chair are you/honer bands.

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