Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

I was a band geek and proud of it. Played most instruments but my principle instrument was Tuba. Was in band from 6th grade through college. My wife was a French Horn player in middle school and High School. Needless to say we're hoping at least one of our kids gets interested in band so we can relieve the past! Any other band geeks in iboats?

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

sun_runner235 said:

I was a band geek and proud of it. Played most instruments but my principle instrument was Tuba. Was in band from 6th grade through college. My wife was a French Horn player in middle school and High School. Needless to say we're hoping at least one of our kids gets interested in band so we can relieve the past! Any other band geeks in iboats?

Click to expand...

Funny you mention it. My youngest (6th graDE) is playing the trumpet. Last night he taught me what he has learned already. doe, ray, mi, fa, so, Scale and "three blind mice". He really got a kick out of teaching me a thing or two.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

Wife played piano.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

I played trombone from 5th thru Sr. year. Went to the Rose Parade in '81.
Band took me a lot of places and I had fun. Sucked at sports.

I still have my trombone in the garage.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

Yes. Played trombone from 6th grade on up. Was section leader senior year in HS. Never missed a event from start to finish. It was hard work but looking back those were some of the best times ever. Coincidentally, my wife's a teacher at a private school and her next door "neighbor" is my old band director.

We had over 360 members not including the drill team. I think one year we had 26 trumpets and 13 trombones. Probably the biggest deal we ever did was the Cherry Blossom parade in D.C. We won 2nd place. We all think we would have won 1st but our drum major forgot to salute the judges. Doh!

I also ran track (distance events) and didn't suck.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

I played trumpet from 4th grade until the end of high school and I wouldn't have traded a minute of it.

In my neighborhood, the high school had a marching band that was quite good. they would march up and down the side streets and I couldn't wait to be a part of it. When my brother was in it (6 years older than me) the band was over 210 members. they would march big ten style 6 across. Thats a lot of rows, not counting the flag girls.

When I was in, the band was around 130 member + the flag girls. We had concert band for about a month and did marching band the rest of the time. I was 1st chair and section leader for my last two years. We had an 18 member tumpet section that marched right in front of six snare drums, 2 base drums, and 6 tenor drums. Way in the back we had a full row of tubas rocking back and forth.

It was a great time. We would travel to parades all over Minnesota every summer weekend and would usually place in the top three. We travelled to the worlds fair in Tenn. and played in Cheyanne Wy.

One of my favorite performances was when we played the lighting ceremony at Mt Rushmore. We played a number of of tunes for the crowd and then the National Anthem for the lighting. It was kind of magical.

I remember this time we marched in Forest Lake MN. It was so hot that the blacktop pavement was a little soft. The Flag girls had boots with heels on them nad as they marched, they basically walked out fo their boots as they stuck in the pavement. Our director would also give you $5 if you stepped in the horse dung (you were not supposed to go around it).

I must have been just a generic geek as I was in speech/debate as well.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

Yeah....our band was quite good too. The football teamed was HORRIBLE! When it came to Friday night games, most people came to see the Band and the Cheerleaders...NOT the football team.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

I was in band from 4th grade through 9th grade. Played the sax.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

Esox said:

I was in band from 4th grade through 9th grade. Played the sax.

Click to expand...

do rae SQUEEK me fah SQUEEK so lah SQUEEK ti SQUEEK do

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

I played the sax till football and wrestling took over. Wish I had kept up the instruments instead of the sports. Now I have a bad shoulder, bad knees and ankles to show for my sports prowess ... hoping the youngest daughter picks up the instruments. Middle son learned guitar, which I am glad.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

I was a Tbone player too until I smashed it up beside someones head, but that was after I got sucker punched. It was a small band of 40 to 50 depending what time of year. It was great on the bus going to the games. There were only 3 of us guys and the rest girls,,,,,,,,,yeah baby! We always hated it when the bus driver would turn on the lights for a hand check. I won't go into details on why so the post won't get zapped.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

SS MAYFLOAT said:

I was a Tbone player too until I smashed it up beside someones head, but that was after I got sucker punched. It was a small band of 40 to 50 depending what time of year. It was great on the bus going to the games. There were only 3 of us guys and the rest girls,,,,,,,,,yeah baby! We always hated it when the bus driver would turn on the lights for a hand check. I won't go into details on why so the post won't get zapped.

Click to expand...

one time....at band camp......

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

sun_runner235 said:

one time....at band camp......

Click to expand...

Dang s_r ya stold my line. I couldnt carry a tune in a wheelbarrow. So all I played in school was hookie (sp).

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

I too play the trombone (notice a pattern here).
Unfortunately, schedules conflicted, and I can't do marching band, but during marching season, the concert band practices the marching music during in school rehearsals, and just doesn't come to the after school rehearsals. In the middle of Nov. we start concert band.

Maybe next year I will be able to march.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

I too play the trombone (notice a pattern here).

Click to expand...

wow this is pretty amazing. i started on piano, 3rd & 4th grade was the sax. then switched to "trombone" for 5th thru my last year of regular high school when i was in 11th grade. i did marching band, orcestra, and stage band. i could play any brass instument that was read in base clef. i too was 1st chair trombone in 11th grade. man, we sure did have fun.....i'm not much into sports, but the music is good........

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

I was a band geek and An All County Band Geek. Also spent 16 years in Drum and Bugle Corps in Elmira, Binghamton, and Rochester.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

I too consider myself one of the ranks. However, I also played sports (football, baseball, hockey) throughout school, wouldn't ever consider myself a jock though. Started off at age 8 playing trumpet, switched to Bass Cleff baritone in 7th grade then onto tuba in 10th. Played the beast my last few years as well as T-bone in our jazz groups. Had an offer for a scholarship to play tuba in college unfortuanely I couldn't make the time commitments required then. Still play the trombone on occasion and am thinking about picking up a used tuba to play in one of the local wind symphonies.

My favorite memory was competing at a national competition in Orlando and taking best all around band, first in Concert third in marching. Not bad for a group that never went over 110 players.

Didn't do much of the marching as I was in football, mainly parade marches and special events during the spring. The whole band camp experience was beyond me as well, well sorta.

Regardless some of my longest freindships came from those people while the ones I played sports with have mostly drifted off.

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

nope I was a burnout but my son is playing(if you can call it that) percussion he just started and it sounds alot better than a violin would at this point

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

Played drums from 6th to 12th grade.

Had a blast, never took it serious.

My senior year I did terrible on auditions on purpose just to get into the 3rd band cause I really didnt want to work hard on the concert stuff. I worked hard on the marching band part.

Bus rides to football games were great.

BTW, my son just started 6th grade drums this year. Hope he has as much fun with it as I did.

Ken

Re: Forget the Jocks....Got any Band Geeks in here?

kenimpzoom said:

Bus rides to football games were great.

Click to expand...

Yea but the ride back was better.