School band

[blade123]

How many of you are in a school band? I've been in one for a long time. To tell you the truth, I'm kind of sick of it. Most of the kids there are the most apathetic people that I've ever seen. There's maybe one person in there that I can talk music to. The director isn't the greatest either. He's knowledgeable, but a horrible teacher. He doesn't really "teach", he "yells" until I figure it out myself. If I ask him for help, MAYBE he'll help me or have something useful to say.

I'll give you an example: We get a new song. It's a songo (just pulling a style). I'll BS my way through it (make a generic latin rhythm). "You're not playing a songo correctly" "Sorry, I don't know how to play a songo" We'll play through a little more and he'll either glare at me the whole time or tell me again, as if I magically could have learned a new style in that time. I'll go home, look it up, work on it for a bit. I'll come back and he takes it twice as fast, so I have to go back to a generic latin rhythm to keep up (I can't learn a new style in a day, and bring it up to speed). I used to work my ass off and try to get it up to speed, sometimes making it, but most the time failing.

Now I don't even try, I'll just BS through it. I hate doing that. In any other class, I wouldn't mind BSing, but when I'm behind a set I always have a 100% work mentality.

I have grown a lot and learned a lot, and I know I still will, but I want drop band and just study with a private teacher. I like taking private lessons. Most of the time, I have no stress at all, they help me through everything, and I learn a lot more. Plus, I can learn relevant things (NOT just concert and big band), but rock, fusion, funk, progressive, and throw in a little swing and latin (I do like learning latin and swing, but I would prefer learning a lot of different styles).
I already turned in my schedule card for next year, and I like having band because it keeps my GPA solid, so I'll probably stay in it.
Are/were you in band, and if so did you like it, hate it? Would you do it again?

[aydee]

Yes, school bands can be 'disappointing' if youre unlucky with your teacher.
But you seem pretty driven to do the 'right thing' by your drumming so a private teacher is a given.
I'd say go for it, even if you keep band going next year for your GPA reasons. Learning from a private teacher might make life easier with Mr. Monster too ; )

[blade123]

Yes, school bands can be 'disappointing' if youre unlucky with your teacher.
But you seem pretty driven to do the 'right thing' by your drumming so a private teacher is a given.
I'd say go for it, even if you keep band going next year for your GPA reasons. Learning from a private teacher might make life easier with Mr. Monster too ; )

Yeah, I have a teacher, I'm planning on switching my teachers, though.

[Drummerboy30]

Im in school band myself and I absolutly hate it. I love the drums and im in a rock band of my own and have dedicated my life to them but the school band just sucks. Theres nobody else there that you can actually talk music to because every other percussionist just likes to bang on shit. Also our director doesnt really know a whole awful lot either. She can read music, but when it comes to her giving the private lesson for drums, its horrible. Every time I have my weekly private lesson im usually the one teaching her. There have been times when I watch her teach and its just...disgusting. For example, one time she told a student that a roll was simply fast singles, so now everyone trying to roll is just terrible. So I had to take the time to teach them what (for a beginer) bounce strokes were. They had no Idea how to bounce a stick, or controll how many times that it bounced, or how to keep it steady. So yeah, this whole school band thing is bogus. But, If its the only band you have, I guess its something.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

Blade, do you read music, and do you have music to read in band?
I would think that a school band would furnish you with a score and expect you to learn to read it. That's how it was when I was in school. New sheet music in the folder, try playing through it as a whole band, then breaking it down by group such as trumpets, woodwinds, etc. Then try it as a whole band again, over and over until we got it right. If you can read, ask him for the music. If he doesn't have music for you....then he going to have to tell you what he wants. Don't let one person be the main frustration for something that you like.

[el_frenko]

when i was at school i was in the Orchestra, Wind Band and Big Jazz Band as well as a couple of small jazz and rock bands. i also filled in when bands needed a drummer/percussionist. every lunch time and often after school i would have rehearsals. i loved every minute of it.

all i can say is this- every chance you have to play in a band at school, take it. playing in a band is the best thing about drums, plus you learn so much more through it. obviously i was lucky in that the music staff at my school were absolute legends, but i still would have stuck with it as best as i could for the music.

as it happens, one of the most important skills you learn from playing in school bands is patience, so stick with it as much as you can.

[FourOnSix]

i had the great fortune of going to a highschool with an amazing music program. it had some of the flaws you discussed, i.e. unmotivated students, but the biggest, and most important difference was the teacher. my teacher only yelled at said unmotivated students, and was extremely helpful to those of us who he felt were really trying to prepare for a quality performance in the winter and spring concerts. I actually came in my first year on percussiona nd i became the section leader because i was the only motivated percussionist. This meant it was my job to delegate who played what parts as well as making sure that they learned the part. needless to say I wasn't the most popular of the percussionists cause i was always on everybody's ass about learnin thier parts, but my teacher appreciated it and i learned a lot from it. (another responsibility i had as the percussion section leader was that i had to know all the parts in the event that someone wasn't present and i needed to fill in there were a number of rehersals where i was reading off of 3 or 4 seperate parts and playing the most important aspects of each, ha. )

In all fairness though, he is kind of treating it like a professional environment. if you get a job as a drummer for a big band or something like that, you're going to be expected to know, not learn songo and other styles. and if you don't, they'll find someone who does.

[ticktock65]

Personally i enjoy my school band, the program is good and the director is great. He's a drumset player himself and has helped me out a lot. It does have its flaws also, but i like it. Now if i could only get private lessons, my town is devoid of any professional drum teachers.

[maddrummr]

I love band. I'm a concert band percussionist, jazz drummer and I play quads in marching band. My directors are awesome. In fact as a fundraiser for new drums they got the school to let us drum for 24 hours. Were raising money to buy new PIT equiptment from the Cavaliers.

Now If you just want to focus on drum set I would definitally get a teacher. But to be an all around great percussionist, staying in band is vital to expose yourself to all different styles.

[TheGroceryman]

I love my band classes. We have two different jazz bands, a wind ensemble, 2 concert bands, and a string orchestra. im in the wind ensemble, string orchestra, and jazz band. And our music program is excellent. The only complaint i have is that our school district doesnt want to pay 200,000 bucks for a full marching band even though their budget is like 10 million or something. kinda ticks me off.

[Class A Drummer]

Ive been in the school band since sixth grade (im in 11th now), and at first i didnt like it, but each year i would enjoy it more and more. Since i started high school, i have had an amazing band director who takes us to festival each year and we always get 1's and 1+'s. Also, im in the Jazz band too which is alot of fun. We play alot of latin and swing stuff (even got a few Buddy Rich tunes going). Besides that, im also the center snare drummer on the drumline, i was in the pit orchestra, the show band (pretty much the band that plays with the show choir at my school), and i did the blast band (huge show where we had to learn about 40 different songs from the 70's and 80's mostly).

Lots of fun.