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Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 8:26 pm
by BCBabe
i have a question...how does a freshman become a section leader? i know that you can try out freshman year and become a section leader next season...but thats a sophmore...just curious...

i agree with everyone else...experience is required. i know someone who wanted to try out last year as a freshman for this season when she would be a sophomore and the director flat out said no because she'd be too young.

i think the hard part would be the respect. cause there are a lot of people out there, me included :oops:, who don't like it when younger members correct them...especially when you just marked it off yourself. :evil: but thats just me. it would be awful hard to listen to a freshman telling me what to do when i've been in the band two years longer and they just learned how to do it...gah. :x

anyways...once again thats just me...wow...i sound mean

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:46 pm
by azn_zeratul
if theyr good enough.. they deserve it...

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 4:57 pm
by Boninetax
I don't think that freshman should be given leadership positions. First, no matter how mature they are, a group needs someone to look up to who has done things before. How can you give advice and instruct about something you've never esperienced? Second, there is so much prejudice against freshman, I can see the person struggling to have his or her authority respected. Third, if you walk into a group and you get a higher position than your peers, I think to a certain extent, it goes to your head. I think it humbles you some to be at the lowest with most everybody else.
Now, after the person experiences everything, they should be given an equal chance. Seniority should only have an affect if the two candidates are equally qualified in every other area. Age should not be a factor if someone can handle the group.
But, as a freshman, I don't think one can handle doing more that his or her individual contribution. It's hard to lead if you don't know what the heck you're doing.

Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2006 3:53 pm
by phatbob2007
sorry, but i dont think putting and lower-classmen in a leadership roll is a good idea, especially if there are upper-classmen in the section. now there are always exceptions like if you have an extremly stupid upper-classman, and the frosh/soph has a good grasp of how ur program runs, and is good on their instrument. but i just dontthink most kids can get the knowledge and experiance of the program in two years, upper classmen are more knowlagable in how it all works

Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2006 11:47 pm
by drumstickchicken
I think that it is all about the experience and maturity level of the individual personally. my section leader last year and the year before was neither experienced or mature, and he had the most seniority. So I completely disagree with basing off of seniority, unless it also includes experience and maturity.

Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 7:12 pm
by Little_Drummer_Boy
I defenitely don't think there should be a incoming freshman section leader for the obvious reason, they don't know anything about marching band.

As a sophmore now, I am center of the drumline and the drumline is composed of mostly seniors. I believe that if you deserve it, you should get it. However, as a leader now, I am not respected because of my young age. The guy who tapped off last year was a junior, he was center tenor. This year he is still center tenor as a senior, yet a sophmore who is very immature(in his mind), is over him and tapping off. I am not drum captain, just center snare and snare SL, and the guy who taps off. Our drum captain is a senior and is bass 2. People respect him because he is a senior. People don't respect me because I'm a sophmore.

After witnessing this in my drumline, I came to a conclusion. I think that if a freshman, at the end of his year, deserves to be a SL he should get it under one condition: He is willing to take disrespectful comments about his position and he is willing to earn is postion and not be respected right away.

I don't know if that's right...but it's what im thinking.

Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 8:42 pm
by uncheckedtrumpet
A freshman should never be section leader, purely for the fact that they will not be respected at all, or listened to; which would make them worse than useless. They would as a catalyst for trouble, senior discourse, etc. A sophomore, on the other hand, at least has a chance as they have had more experience with the upperclassmen and my have already earned their respect. However, it is in my opinion that sophomores should not be given a section leader position unless they are needed (IE no other bass clarinets).


Respectability is foremost in my mind.

Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 6:34 am
by the_scot
I've had a ton of experience from this. It's happened two or three times in my band, including to myself.

I marched euphonium when I entered high school, and I was in a section with 3 juniors. As a freshman, I thought I was pretty good, and decidedly wanted to be section leader. Of course, as soon as I even mentioned it, the answer "You're not going to be SL any time soon, so forget about it," was thrown at me. Of course, this only strengthened my resolve.

Two years later, with the three previous Juniors graduated, I am now section leader, and I do have to say that I am very glad it turned out this way. I may have been mature, and a good player, but in no ways did I have enough experience to be a section leader.

This happened in our band this year. A sophomore is a SL, and to my dismay, they didn't even know how to read drill. Granted, they have great skills when it comes to playing their instrument, but they have no leadership qualities whatsoever.

Being good at your instrument =/= being a good section leader.

Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:04 am
by Zarathrustra
If the freshman is the best one for the job then they should get it. Regardless of their age. Sure, the older ones tend to be more mature, but sometimes the freshmen can shape up to be great leaders. In my band, I was the first freshman to challenge the current section leader for his position. I did it because the current section leader wasn't doing his job and someone needed to do it. Since I was the only one who had any guts I was told to challenge him. The entire band hated me but I did it. If the freshman is mature enough and the best choice, then they should definetly be aloud to be section leader. However, it is really hard to get people to listen to you when you are a freshman. Trust me, I know. :roll: