People who let the band down.

[trittico]

Yesterday was our state contest for concert season. Eveyone shows up, uniforms in tow, ready to head across the city for the big one. Everyone's excited about playing our contest pieces for the last time.

Everyone except the first cornet and first trumpet, who are not there.

Naturally, everyone freaks. I don't know if you've ever played "Symphonic Movement" by Vaclav Nehlybel, but it's got a lot of tradeoff sections that use all 5 trumpet/cornet parts. With these two gone, we're left with three cornets and a trumpet. There's no way to play every part. Our BD, obviously frustrated, copies off parts of the score (the original parts for the absentees are nowhere to be found) for the trumpets. He runs through the rough spots and makes some tough decisions on what gets played and what doesn't, oftentimes having other groups play louder in hopes of fooling the judges into thinking the missing parts are just covered up.

eventually, news comes in on the status of the two players. The first cornet, who had been hobbling around on a cane and crutches for the past few days, is in the ER getting a cast put on. And the first trumpet apparently has some sort of stomach flu. Frustrated, we go to contest anyway.

After a reasonable performance and some rocky sightreading, we come away with two 2s and a 1 in contest music and a 3 in sightreading.

It's obvious to everyone in the band what the results would have been with everyone present. Without the stress, we probably would have sightread tons better, and our contest music would have been much better. After all, we went to this contest after coming back from San Diego with a first place trophy in hand and straight 1s. Granted, we get judged more harshly back here in Oklahoma (old school judges who don't like Nehlybel), but we could have done much better.

Today, the first cornet wisely stays home (We're probably going to scalp him on Monday), but the first trumpet shows up. "Really? you recovered from debilitating stomach flu in one day?"

The BD's decision was that because of the betrayal of trust, the two of them will playing with the bottom band for the Spring concert. He was absolutely incensed at the two of them for what they did, and I say rightfully so. They completely screwed us over on the one time it counts, and while everyone else was faithful to each other, it doesn't matter because they left us hanging.

On a final note, neither of them contacted the BD two inform him of their absence, which is completely unacceptable to me. We had no idea where they were until some band kids got a hold of them, and then they refused to come.

What do you think about people who let the band down? Has anyone had any similar experiences to this one? What's the proper reaction to this?

[~*Not~a~Stalker~*]

Oh man. YES.
First off, I am SO sorry. I can totally relate; I come from a band that has pretty much always been small for the four years I've been in it, but this year was the smallest. We didn't even have a drumline, and instead used a drumset player in the pit. Without the drumset we were pretty much screwed, becuase him and our lone tuba were our driving force in the show.
So, the morning of state competition, which so conveniently happens to be the day after Halloween, we're all at the band room at 4 in the morning, pumped, ready to go, etc. Except...we seemed to be missing a drumset player...
Long story short, the drumset player, who was a notorious partyer, was pretty much just passed out in his kitchen with a hangover. He never showed, and we didn't get to go to the competition.
As for the proper reaction to this, I would have to say that the natural reaction is to hate the people that let you down. For the band as a whole, this probably won't last very long. The kids probably have friends who will forgive them. Now I, personally, haven't really forgiven the kid that ruined MY marching season, but it's not like I hate him. He apologized without any prompting to the entire band, which I thought took guts. I guess the reaction is up to you.

[altoclarinet123]

I haven't had an experience as devastating as you, but once the bassoonist didn't show up to the concert. He didn't have a cell and no one knew where he was, but his part wasn't super important that time, mostly just doubles. Even now, I don't know why he didn't show, no one made a big deal of it.

But there is this one clari in my marching section who just doesn't care. Her mom forces her to do marching band and she doesn't hold her weight. She plays random notes instead of memorizing her music, and she refuses to guide or march where she is supposed to be. (There was this one set where we were in a wavy line (~) and she was on the 50 and would not guide. I would ask her several times to guide to her left, but she just ignored me and marched to the beat of her own drum. Standing next to her, I was like, okay, she's wrong, but if I don't guide to her, then I'm wrong, and there will still be a giant hole in the middle of our line! The whole right side was practically screwed the entire time. And this wasn't the only set she would do it on. And if asked about it, she just laughs and says "who likes band anyway?" (I think that's fairly idiotic, being that the entire room is filled with people who love band). I think that if people continually let the band down, the BD's should have the power to kick them out, but they will only kick them out for direct insubordination (I can't wait for the day she laughs to our Head BD's face). But if it is one time and they are sincerely apologetic, then I would give them another chance.

[jazztastic]

To Not a Stalker:
I know what it feels like having a show after Halloween! It sucks! Our homecoming was that weekend. We had to play our halftime show in the pep rally, the football game that night (where our band room was in the same building that caught fire during 3rd quarter...more about that later...) and then the next morning we had to be there by 4am for a 4 trip to a competition.

Anyways, if you have people in your band like what altoclari123 said, talk to them! Say something along the lines of: "hey, we all try very hard to be the best band we can be. by doing ___, how does that help the band?" HOWEVER, if you ever need/want to confront someone like that, don't do it front of a lot people, that's just rude and embarrassing and will probably make you appear to be an angry jerk. And, don't EVER, EVER, EVER use the word "you," because it's attacking them directly.

[hansel2011]

Wow!!! I have had something that happened with people not telling anyone where they are going...people in the band have let us down beofre but not like that.


One time it was before a big football game. Our town was feeding the band, football team and cheerleaders. It would be a while so we were all walking around school or sitting in the band room. I am sitting in the band room talking to friends about things and then just about my entire section runs in all mad saying that "bob" was being a jerk and not talking to them. They wanted me to go talk to him. (bob is in my section as well) I ask them where he is and they told me. I go by myself, fearing that if he saw anyone else then it would make him even more upset. I go to a classroom where they told me he was and he is not there. I ask the teacher if she knows anything and she said he just walked out. So I take my friend...she was the dm...and we go around the entire school looking for him. He is no where to be found. I decide to look around outside and he is not there. After a good hour or so we go back and tell our bd. Bob is not answering his phone. We go and tell my bd and then I go figure out what made bob so mad. Well my bd is trying to call bobs mom and she is not answering. Bob is not answering his phone so now I am getting a little freaked out. His mom finally answers her phone and she has no idea where he is. By now I am getting a little worried that something bad happened. About two hours of hard work bob answers his phone. I was so happy. He ended up walking all the way to his dads house. I was so mad at him because I was worried, my friend was worried, his mother was worried and my bd was worried.


But wow, that is bad. Yea, I would talk to them. If they were in my band I know they would not be in the band any longer. lol.

[altoclarinet123]

Thanks, I hope that will help. I am currently trying out for sl, and I think I have a good chance, too. I'll need to know what to do if that person keeps doing what she is doing.

[jazztastic]

Hey alto, have you tried talking to your BD about this?
Sometimes a stategy to get them to start caring is becoming their friend. Haha stop gasping! I'm serious though. Become their friend so you can be able to talk to them better, and show them how to care and that you're on their side, not fighting against them. I'm gonna warn you, this doesn't work for everyone. One of the worst things you can do is being yelling at them constantly since that just creates more opposition. What grade is this person in, btw?

[clarinetrox2012]

Ahh, that sucks. =(
We went to concert band festival on Saturday.
We had two people not show up.

[jazztastic]

We had a performance Thursday and our 1st trumpet didn't show up which made Ave Maria suck!!

Haha but when I got home, my dad was standing in front of the fridge and my mum yells at him saying, "Close the freaking fridge! You're going to let Ave Maria out! Freaking rosary!"
Here's the kicker: She claims to be Catholic.

Anyways, I can't stand when people don't show up, especially without a legitimate excuse or without even telling anyone! If you need a ride, ask for a ride! Don't tell us the day after!

[stickshifty]

Ok, I'm going to play a slight Devil's Advocate for your situation, Trittico:

1. Your injured cornet player: Ok, from my experiences in the orthopedic world, if you have an appointment, you go to the Orthopedic Surgeon for a cast. If you have an emergency, you go to the ER. So how do you know he wasn't on his way out the door to the contest with trumpet in tow when he trips and lands wrong? If an emergency like that happens, you kinda forget about everything. And ok, say maybe there is an accident and he comes anyways. I have marched more than my fair share on injured joints-- and if you aren't used to it, playing on heavy pain killers or in a lot of pain is not a good idea. You just aren't all there upstairs.

2. Your stomach-flu victim: It could have just been some food poisoning if he was over it that quickly. And despite the fact, would have really wanted him to come when he could have potentially gotten sick while performing? And if it was stomach flu, think of all the people he could have exposed to it.

3. I think their not calling was irresponsible, not disloyal. I think that if they had gotten wasted/crunk the night before and didn't come because of a hangover, then that would merit unfaithful. But it doesn't sound like these are situations where they could help it...

I'm not trying to attack you or anything, I just want to provide another viewpoint to the situation.


And in my high school band of 280, there were kids we wanted to kill on a daily basis since they joined band for the "free 100."

[trittico]

No problem at all with you playing Devil's advocate, Stickshifty. If everyone voiced the same opinion, a discussion is useless.

a bit more info about the first cornet: his toe had been broken for a while now, and he has an infection that could have meant necessary amputation left unchecked. Granted, all of this could have been avoided had he gotten a cast put on when he broke it.

[piccolo + ADD = fun]

Hmmm so many let downs

- the bassonist who broke his wrist when he had a solo at festival (luckily the others managed to cover him so it was all good)

- The girl who came to a game at 1 pm in the afternoon at our rival school completely wasted on wine (you could smell her four lines up in parade formation it was disgusting)

-The kid who told the band director he was out of money in London, received 40 pounds from him, skipped the Windsor tour, took the Tube to Camden, bought shrooms, got high, OD'ed, passed out in the hotel lobby and had to go to the hospital, caused the band director nearly to be sued, nearly had to call the American Embassy at the hospital to get them to treat him and almost left him behind except the hospital had to release him since our visa were up the next day.

-The kid who had alcohol in Rome

-the kid who inadvertently started the "one of the band buses crashed" rumor

-A cymbalist who forgot a pair of cymbals in London (we got them back eventually)

-Whoever slashed one of the snare drum bottoms forcing us to pay to have it replaced

[altoclarinet123]

Becoming her friend would be difficult, considering I hated her guts about two years ago and she knows it. She's a sophomore and I'm a freshman this year, which doesn't help. (And yes I am trying out for sl - our section is desperate. Actually, I'm more concerned now that I might get dm because I tried out just for the experience and my bd really liked it and wants to "chat" on monday...). I will try to be as friendly as possible though. I am thinking that one on one sectionals may be necessary - or maybe I can have my mom make casual discussion with her mom on how much I am practicing and how excited I am and maybe her mom will be like, "wait, my daughter isn't doing this?!"

[clarinetchick96]

to the first post:
i would be so pissed with those two.

[carlaxbassoon]

We had the armed forces parade and our good players didn't show, for bad reasons.
We barely had a clarinet and trumpet section.

Most of my freshmen class hates marching band (they only take band class since marching band isn't forced *this year*)
So they don't do the parades most of them would prefer to write essays.

ONLY BECAUSE OUR UNIFORMS! They won't wear the stickin' uniforms. That is the main reason.
Its ridiclous.