HELP!!!!!!!!!!! Panic mode MAJOR!!!!!

SilverwindWicca2007 · Post by **SilverwindWicca2007** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 8:16 pm

Someone PLEASE help me!!!!! I'm a Junior in Highschool this year, and our band is one of the top in the NATION!!! And I am the new flute section leader!!! I've been gone or working most of the summer, so I haven't been able to practice and Band Camp starts in 1 WEEK!!!! I'm nowhere NEAR done memorizing the music, not even thinking about teaching it to EIGHTEEN underclassmen!!! I sound HORRIBLE!!!! Does anybody have ANY tips for me?!?!?!?!?!?????

SilverwindWicca2007 · Post by **SilverwindWicca2007** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:06 am

Someone PLEASE help me!! I'm the ONLY upperclassman left, the others all graduated or joined guard, and I'm in deep trouble if I can't play the music. I'm practicing as much as I can, but I'm working two jobs and still trying to figure out how I'm going to get to the practices around those... I'd love anyone who has some sort of memorization trick that works and they're willing to share...

SilverwindWicca2007 · Post by **SilverwindWicca2007** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 7:45 am

Sorry about the panic... I'm not usually so stressed out. I've gotten my tone under control, and I can play the music (for the most part), but my vibrato sounds horrible! I'd be eternally grateful for some help with that... Also, if anyone has any memorization or teaching tips, that'd be really nice as well...

ick27 · Post by **ick27** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 9:22 am

Whoah, don't stress too much.. You're just out of shape because you haven't practiced in a while. Practice some every day from now till band camp and you'll get back to where you were.

Mango · Post by **Mango** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 9:54 am

I wouldn't worry about the vibrato, since you won't hear it on-field anyway.

You could try the old trick of "I'm not going to play it for you, you figure it out first" so they don't have to hear you play. It makes them responsible for knowing the rhythms on their own.

(You only have 19 flutes? Weird...We're a smal school and have about thirty...about forty-five clarinets, too, but no color guard for twenty years)

SilverwindWicca2007 · Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:06 pm

It's only during Marching Band that we have 19 flutes. Two of our flutes are the drum majorettes, and 12 are in Guard... I HAVE to be worried about my vibrato. I have a mike solo, and that is where the issues start... I'm not really a freak-out person most of the time, I had just had a bad day... Got up at four to be @ work (I'm a lifeguard @ the YMCA) where we had a lady fall & break her tailbone, got off @ 1, went to my OTHER job (I work at a Daycare Center), got puked on twice, got home @ 7, got a call informing me I was section leader, just faxed the music, better have it memorized, and oh by the way, Camp starts Monday...Like I said, not a good day...

SilverwindWicca2007 · Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:10 pm

That's why I wanted teaching tips, it's the SL's job to do the remedial teaching and endless repititions so that we KNOW they have it memorized... besides, Camp's 8a-9p, so when would they have time to practice at home anyway???? I nedded the memorization tips just for me... I can never remember my sets OR the music... I don't know why he thought I could figure out how to make 18 freshmen & sophmores remeber THEIRS...

Caroline_Fluter · Post by **Caroline_Fluter** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 10:24 pm

Whoa.... deeeeeeeep breaths, 'kay?

SilverwindWicca2007 · Post by **SilverwindWicca2007** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:22 pm

'Kay...

Ugh.... I HATE AP classes, and school hasn't even started yet!!!! They gave us TONS of homework for over the summer.... On top of everything else..... Oh well.... I've gotten to where I can play my music from the sheet, but I don't have it memorized yet.... I suppose NOBODY has any memorization tips for me??? *looks pleadingly around*

fluttiegurl · Post by **fluttiegurl** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 5:44 pm

Memorization, for many people, comes with repetition. Make sure that you are repeating it correctly or you will memorize mistakes. Memorizing also comes with being comfortable with the music, which means practicing it. If one is available, a recording sometimes helps. Most importantly, trust yourself. You can handle this!

Mango · Post by **Mango** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 6:56 pm

Maybe once you get it played perfectly off the sheet, record it on a tape or something and listen to it, too, just your part, so you know it by ear and mouth and finger. And play with it, too, so your brain knows what's coming and puts your fingers there.

That's kind of what I do when I need to memorize speeches or poems or stuff for French, I listen, because I know I'm mostly and audial learner. Probably comes from the music in my veins

SilverwindWicca2007 · Post by **SilverwindWicca2007** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:55 pm

ACK!!! a frenchy!!! Lol, I'm a Spanish-geek so don't take it personally... I already practice and practice, 'till my fingers are about to fall off, but I'm hopeless at memorizing. That's why I'm always the WORST marcher in the band... I've actually run off the field crying in the middle of a show before, because I couldn't remember where I was supposed to go, and there was a HUGE tuba coming backwards at me!!! Talk about trouble!! I though H was gonna KILL me!!