Calling all band geeks

Emrys

Emrys

Continuing from the Old Picture thread, how many of us were band geeks? What instrument did you play? Are you still playing today?

Flute in grades 9 & 10, until I got braces. Then I switched over to percussion in marching band season and bassoon in symphonic band season.

I still play the bassoon, which really freaks the cats and doomweasels out. I can rock The Hall of the Mountain King!
 
LittleKagsin

LittleKagsin

Color Guard ya'll!! :D I still have all of my rifles - I'll probably bust them out today. I wasn't allowed to keep any of the flags, but I bet I could still do some moves.

I'm really not that musical, mostly because I never put effort into it, but I can play the piano well. And that's about it.
 
Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh

Trombone from Middle School into High School. I was a jack of all trades guy though. Band Geek, Sports Jock, Casanova, friend to all, very close to none.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Not band, but did have piano lessons, with lots of exercises and tests on music theory, which got me interested in tracking (aka amiga .MODs). Didn't stick with piano much (though I still own a full size casio keyboard), because my fingers are kinda stubby for it.
 
Cheesy1

Cheesy1

Started on violin in 4th and 5th grades. Moved on to Alto Sax in 6th and 7th. Then on to Bari Sax in 8th. In 11th I was "volunteered" to learn French Horn because we only had one player.

Did marching band, field show, and choir. Haven't played since junior college, I really miss it.
 
Last edited:
Emrys

Emrys

I was interested in joining Colour Guard until I tried out for it. The rifle came down and hit me square between the eyes, so I went for something really safe - hitting drums with sticks.

I know; I'm a danger to myself and others.

 
grub

grub

Piano lessons for 10 years. Still play a bit. Trombone for HS, haven't played since. Guitar for the last 21, and mandolin for the last 5. Not good enough IMO at any of them.
 
Dei

Dei

I never got the hang of the saber and rifle, but I still have my practice flag in the garage because we were all required to buy our own for home. :)
 
Dei

Dei

I have videos of our state champs from every year I was in marching band, but they are all on VHS still.... >.>
 
Gared

Gared

Started with piano lessons in 3rd grade, went on to clarinet in 6th grade, kept playing that (and tutoring) through my senior year, as well as picking up tenor sax, bari sax (my favorite), bass trombone, drums, and bass clarinet at various times throughout high school, for pep band, concert band, jazz band, and briefly played tenor sax in the WSU (Washington State) marching band. I was my (very) small high school's utility player. Haven't touched an instrument of any kind since 1998, but I do really miss the bari.
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

Started trombone in 4th grade (still have it, though it is damaged).
Started singing in 6th.
Added trombonium/baritone/tuba in 7th grade (learned the 3/4-valve instruments).
Learned how to operate violin/viola/cello/upright bass/piano in college in order to get BA in Music.
Started learning guitar in 2002 but lessons were cut short after my employer suddenly went out of business.
Continued in vocal/choir until about 2007 when my group's rehearsal times conflicted with work too much.
Still own trombone and guitar, still sing casually, still own MIDI keyboard and plenty of computer software.

--Patrick
 
WasabiPoptart

WasabiPoptart

Not band, but I played flute in 5th and 6th grade. I was going to try out for majorette in my high school band, but their dancing was horrible (at least it was from the perspective of someone who had been taking dance lessons for the better part of 10 years) so I didn't bother.
 
blotsfan

blotsfan

I played the Violin from the Age of 3-17. I hated it and was always told "Oh. You'll be so glad you did it when you're older."

I have not touched a violin from the second my last lesson ended.
 
CynicismKills

CynicismKills

blotsfan picks up his violin for the first time in decades, EXCLUSIVE PICTURE:

[DOUBLEPOST=1397085167,1397085114][/DOUBLEPOST]Also I played saxophone from 5th grade to the end of high school. Alto in 5-6, tenor in 7, baritone for the rest. I did one semester of marching band on sousaphone. I still have shoulder problems.
 
LittleKagsin

LittleKagsin

Emrys said:
Yes, you dare.
Click to expand...
I might have better video's elsewhere, but for now you are in for a treat, a low-quality treat, but a treat!

There is one good moment you can see me in this video. I'm behind the trumpet soloist and yeah. Wee.


This year I was a captain and three of us (me included) wrote the flag routine for the ballad.



I'm having such insane nostalgia right now. UGh, I miss marching band. I'm gonna go play with my rifles now.
 
LittleKagsin

LittleKagsin

My favorite band story, well one of them, we always had a 'parent night' when our show was ready so parent's could come, watching their kids without having to travel quite a ways for competitions. Anyway, the show in 06' they had one parent or sibling come on to the field and march with you/next to you/in your place and I just remember it being CHAOS. My brother marched with me and we collided with so many people and just laughed the whole time. He never teased me after that because Jazz running 3 yards in 3 counts is not the easiest thing. Ah, memories!
 
strawman

strawman

COME MY ORCHESTRAL BROTHERS AND SISTERS, AND RISE UP AGAINST THIS "BAND" OPPRESSION!

Upright bass for me. Fingering, strings, and sheet music is the same for a bass guitar, incidentally, but I never owned my own instrument and doubt I'd be able to pick one up and play anything now.

It has blessed me in many ways throughout my life, though, so I heartily recommend music education of some sort to everyone.
 
ncts_dodge_man

ncts_dodge_man

Former percussionist here - started in 5th grade and went through 12th.

Did marching band, jazz band, pep band, concert band... Senior year I primarily played the tymps - let the "younger" crew deal with the "easier" stuff.
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
Gilgamesh said:
Trombone from Middle School into High School. I was a jack of all trades guy though. Band Geek, Sports Jock, Casanova, friend to all, very close to none.
Click to expand...
This is very, very me. Trombone, vocalist, speech, track, wrestling, musicals. I was very into the extracurricular life and I treated everyone pretty much the same and was generally accepted by everyone.

I loved high school.[DOUBLEPOST=1397092454,1397092374][/DOUBLEPOST]Lotta 'boners on this board!
 
bhamv3

bhamv3

Played the clarinet in middle school and high school.

There were a few other clarinetists at the time, three hot girls, who were quite frankly all better than me. Nonetheless, I loved playing with them. It was the time when a boy turns into a man, and playing the clarinet with them was a good way to ease into interactions with the opposite sex.

Heck, one of them played in the pit orchestra with me for our production of Show Boat. Loved that show.

Rebecca, Allison, you guys... I miss you all.
 
Celt Z

Celt Z

I wasn't able to keep my rifle, but I still have my sabre and a couple of show flags from my years in Color Guard. I can't remember if any of our shows are online, but I did borrow a friend's tapes a few years back and put everything I had onto DVD. And my varsity jacket!

Then there was the art classes ('natch) and singing and some other extra-curriculars. I played a number of sports, too, but I only played in the local leagues, not for the school. Some of our women's team were known for being cutthroat, and I'm not that kind of athlete. I've always played for the love of the game, not "win at all costs".
 
Shakey

Shakey

Rocked the trumpet here. The best part about being in the marching band in Minnesota was having to "winterize" your instruments so they didn't freeze up or freeze to your mouth during winter parades.
 
Celt Z

Celt Z

Shakey said:
Rocked the trumpet here. The best part about being in the marching band in Minnesota was having to "winterize" your instruments so they didn't freeze up or freeze to your mouth during winter parades.
Click to expand...
I once had my flag pole freeze to my hand at a really cold Thanksgiving game. Went to toss it, and it wouldn't come off my hand. I did get it loose shortly after, but I don't miss that part of it.
 
DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Tuba from junior high through college. Haven't found any video from HS, but here's an old WVU highlight tape from 1987. I'm down there somewhere. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top