How did you choose your instrument?

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thefluteninja
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Post by thefluteninja » Thu Oct 25, 2007 4:43 pm

hope i don't get killed for bumping up an old thread...but i wanted to share my story, too...

i actually only started last year in 8th grade. it was kind of fate that i was put in band, because adv. choir was in the same period as adv. drama. i was more of a thespian, so i just chose drama. i thought since i told the counseler to drop band that i would get basics instead, but i got beginning band.

there was day in band when we got to try all the instruments out, excepting for percussion. i wanted to try trumpet, but there was a long line for to try it out, so i passed. i tried get a sound out of an alto sax, but it didn't really work.

i came in after school to try some more instruments out, and my best friend, sam, told me i should play flute. i kept saying no, and she said, "come on, just try it." and i said okay, so i tried it out. it worked out pretty good, so that's what i chose.

i made so much progress that i moved up to adv. band at the semester. it was that easy to pick it up! i had so much fun last year :]

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lowbrass89
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Post by lowbrass89 » Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:14 am

Well it was 7th grade in junior high and I didnt want to take Art so I decided to drop that and join band. I have always wanted to play sax or Trumpet but since I joined in halfway trough first quarter, the only instuments left were a French Horn and a old F attachment trombone with a string supporting the trigger. I decided to take the Trombone just because I thought it would be easier.

In high school I went and purchased a Bach Tenor Trombone my Freshman year. I quicly moved up to F attachment because I was overplaying on my Tenor. I later ended up playing Bass Trombone because I had been inspired by my section leader and have always prefered low notes over high notes.

I'm currently a Music Major as a Freshman at CSUF on a Courtois Bass Trombone and am pursuing a BA untill I audition for the BM program my sophomore year. Funny thing is that I would of never seen myself as a Music Major pursuing a goal to one day perform in the LA Phil, or any other orchestra as Bass Trombonist.

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Post by Jakob der ludner » Fri Oct 26, 2007 10:37 am

haha, now that I play two more instruments...

trumpet:

drum corps needed trumpets (hoowat? yeah i know), so I marched it haha.

mello:

didn't wanna be in a section of 30-40 people (cal band trumpets and clarinets), so I picked up mellophone at band camp. I thought mellos always got the coolest parts in marching band anyway
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Post by bandgeeky » Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:27 pm

4th grade: Started playing clarinet in the elementary school band, loved it from the beginning.

6th grade: I forgot to bring my clarinet to class one day, so Mrs. V handed me a bass clarinet. I thought it was the coolest thing ever, especially since it was almost as big as I was, so that's what I played for the rest of middle school.

9th grade: Played clarinet and bass clarinet in the pit orchestra for the tri-school musical, Cabaret. No new instruments, but this is important for...

10th grade: Since I was in the musical the year before, I was invited back again for Footloose, except this time I had to learn to play tenor sax. I borrowed a really cheap oddball sax from my friend and I managed pretty well. After Footloose ended, I left the sax alone for a little while, but my friend kept bugging me to try out for jazz band. The day of tryouts, the other guy who was auditioning for second tenor saw me come in and laughed at me. I beat him, so guess who's laughing now?

11th grade (this year): There was an opening in CYS for a baritone sax player, so the same friend who pushed me into jazz band convinced me to try out. I got in, which I'm still kind of in shock about. The musical this year, as I heard recently, is going to be Urinetown, which means I'm going to have fun lugging my clarinet, bass clarinet, and my friend's soprano and alto sax to Fremont almost every day in April and May.

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Post by Harsona42 » Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:50 pm

I'm currently a Music Major as a Freshman at CSUF on a Courtois Bass Trombone and am pursuing a BA untill I audition for the BM program my sophomore year.
At the risk of hijacking this thread...

Courtois are good horns. I got the chance to try out a tenor (not sure which model but it was a .547) a few weeks ago and I really liked it. Felt a lot more like a Bach as opposed to some of the other orchestral horns like Conn, Shires, Edwards, etc.

Just out of curiosity, how did you come to settle on the Courtois? Back when I was searching for a new horn I couldn't find one anywhere to try out. Only recently did I run into a player who owned one and let me give it a try.

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lowbrass89
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Post by lowbrass89 » Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:30 am

Well there was like a month in half before college started and I was with out a Bass Trombone so I went out searching for one at ABI. Having previously played on a Getzen, my other choices were a Jupiter or a Courtois. I liked the sound I produced better on the Coutous then the other two so I went with the Courtois. It was a Courtois Bass Trombone with Hagman valves and a 10.5 inch bell. Main reason why I settled on this one was because it produced the best sound and since Bach Stradavarious' were out, a Courtois would be the next or if not the best choice for a Bass Trombone. I was also told that this was the same horn my Trombone instructor to be played on. I showed up to Trombone Ensemble the first day of college and he smiled at me and told me that a Courtois is a very good horn. Ever since then I have stuck with it instead of contiuning my search for a Bach Stradavarious.

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Post by PGOK » Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:50 am

lowbrass89 wrote: Funny thing is that I would of never seen myself as a Music Major pursuing a goal to one day perform in the LA Phil, or any other orchestra as Bass Trombonist.
You may have to pry Jeff Reynolds out of his chair, for the LA Phil. :wink: He's been the Bass Trombonist since I was in HS (maybe before).

Anyone with "old" jokes, please PM me, so I can give a proper response. :lol:
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Brad
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Post by Brad » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:41 am

:whistle:
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be good to yourself

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Post by PGOK » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:12 pm

Brad wrote::whistle:

Pot.....Kettle...... :wink:
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Brad
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Post by Brad » Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:03 am

I'm not old, just experienced. But not as experienced as Vore.
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Post by vore » Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:48 pm

PGOK wrote:You may have to pry Jeff Reynolds out of his chair, for the LA Phil. :wink: He's been the Bass Trombonist since I was in HS (maybe before).
This is Jeff's last season in the LA Phil. After he retires, he is moving north to be near his grandchildren. I assume he will be taking his train layout with him... 'tis the end of an era.

FYI... Jeff was our brass instructor/clinican when I was in high school back in the 1960's. At the time he was a student at CSULB. I still use some of his low brass techniques with the bands I clinic.

vore 8-)
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Post by Trumpet Man 05 » Thu Nov 01, 2007 12:46 am

Jeff Reynolds finished his tenure with the Los Angeles Philharmonic last year. He was the brass coordinator at CSULB until 2005, and then finished his last year with the Phil. He has since been replaced by Herbert Ausman.

http://www.laphil.com
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PGOK
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Post by PGOK » Thu Nov 01, 2007 7:38 am

Brad wrote:I'm not old, just experienced. But not as experienced as Vore.
No one is.
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Post by Jsaxm » Fri Nov 09, 2007 2:04 pm

It was shiny, and I liked how to cork grease smelled, yum!! :eatt:
You just can't encourage stupidity

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Post by JazzGeek » Fri Nov 09, 2007 3:19 pm

Jsaxm wrote:It was shiny, and I liked how to cork grease smelled, yum!! :eatt:
Please tell me you didn't eat it. :shock:
Not unless you were the kid in school who liked to eat paste and Elmer's glue... :roll: :wink:

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