The Band/Choir/Orchestra Thread

[Pastelle]

Music education is so, so important. Its more than just creating pretty music or getting an easy A. Its about working together to create a message that transcends language and can be understood by everyone. Its about multi-tasking and thinking on the spot. Its about practicing and practicing to get better at something and ultimately be rewarded for it. Its about expressing the joys and sorrows of humanity through brilliant compositions and technical skill.

As you can probably tell, I'm very passionate about music, and I'm hoping this can be a place where people just as passionate as myself can discuss what we love.

Feel free to post videos of pieces you've performed, stories of your experiences in high school or college, or anything else band, choir, and orchestra related!

 

[Fluke]

Wayyy back I had a lot of drum covers up on YouTube.. But feeling uncomfortable with them I deleted them about five years ago. I definitely regret doing that. Would've loved to show you some.

 

[GlassGlaceon]

Well this may come as a surprise to some but I've been a chorus boy ever since lower school. All-State choir in fourth and fifth grade and Biltmore estate performances have all happened throughout my life. Earlier this year my choir group was invited to sing with a bunch of other schools across the nation (one in canada actually as well !!!) to sing at Carnegie Hall, which was huge. Heck, we got a sponsor to pay off half of everyone's fees when we got offered a chance to go to London next March where I think we're gonna get like officially judged and stuff. So before this post just turns into "My Accomplishments: The Broadway Show", I have one major question(s)

How do I get better at doing things related to reading music and form? Seeing as we're being judged on this trip, I want to read every single part of a piece and be able to perform it perfectly. Only way I got all of these opportunities was from hearing my part by ear and having an above average voice. So anything helps. The smallest tip to help me do better in regards to music will be a gigantic help! Anything from breathing to presentation to help reading music is useful. Thanks in advance.

 

[Pastelle]

Wayyy back I had a lot of drum covers up on YouTube.. But feeling uncomfortable with them I deleted them about five years ago. I definitely regret doing that. Would've loved to show you some.

That's too bad... I love cool percussion arrangements :[ Were they played on set?

Well this may come as a surprise to some but I've been a chorus boy ever since lower school. All-State choir in fourth and fifth grade and Biltmore estate performances have all happened throughout my life. Earlier this year my choir group was invited to sing with a bunch of other schools across the nation (one in canada actually as well !!!) to sing at Carnegie Hall, which was huge. Heck, we got a sponsor to pay off half of everyone's fees when we got offered a chance to go to London next March where I think we're gonna get like officially judged and stuff. So before this post just turns into "My Accomplishments: The Broadway Show", I have one major question(s)

How do I get better at doing things related to reading music and form? Seeing as we're being judged on this trip, I want to read every single part of a piece and be able to perform it perfectly. Only way I got all of these opportunities was from hearing my part by ear and having an above average voice. So anything helps. The smallest tip to help me do better in regards to music will be a gigantic help! Anything from breathing to presentation to help reading music is useful. Thanks in advance.

That sounds so cool omg. The biggest thing my band did was play at Disney World last year, but I would kill to get a chance to perform at Carnegie Hall!
As far as your question goes, all I can say that every music person has said before is PRACTICE. I'm not a vocalist, so I can't really help you with things like breathing and presentation. As far as reading music, try to find recordings online to get an idea of how things are read. Pay attention to articulation and dynamics, they're so important and take music to the next level. Practice until you can perform it in your sleep.

Hope this somewhat helped! ^_^

 

[Engiineer]

I played the clarinet and piano in Junior High. I was pretty damn good at clarinet, but I wasn't that great in playing the piano.
I could do a melody here and there but using two hands: one to one set of notes and doing a different one on the other was difficult.
By the middle of my 8th grade school year, my grades took a nosedive and I was cut from band by my mum and dad.
/cri
I wasn't not mad because the City band didn't have a foothold in the High School that I would be going to the following school year.

My favorite experience in Band was my first solo in 7th grade.
It was the main part in a Jazz piece. (idk the name the song tho)
To be honest, the best of it was getting to play music from Pokemon / SSB / Kirby / Mario
My favorite pieces to play were: Route 1 Kanto, Twinleaf Town, Master Hand, Fountain of Dreams, and SMB Underworld Theme.

 

[Cresselia~~]

I used to be in many different choirs.
Including one that competes nationally in the UK.

Tips on reading music-- you shouldn't be reading note by note, or counting the beat for each note. Try reading in blocks, such as 1 to 2 bars at the same time, and recognize the pattern for the rhythmn and melody to decide the proportion of each note.
You'll read like 5 times faster using this method.

 

[Shinryu]

I wish I knew how to play an instrument :(

I have an ancient passed down family piano, but it's very out of time and would probably need much in repairs to probably tune it up and everything, though it does make noise when you hit the keys. Still I'd rather not try learning to play on it as I wouldn't even know if what I'm learning sounds right.

Another instrument I would love to learn is the violin, but I heard it's hard. Not to mention I have no clue how to get into it, like what a good starting one would be, guidebooks, etc? I'm not looking to be a pro or anything, but it'd be sweet to strum out some tunes.

Any advice on how to get started in any of this?

 

[Kavatika]

I wish I knew how to play an instrument :(

I have an ancient passed down family piano, but it's very out of time and would probably need much in repairs to probably tune it up and everything, though it does make noise when you hit the keys. Still I'd rather not try learning to play on it as I wouldn't even know if what I'm learning sounds right.

Another instrument I would love to learn is the violin, but I heard it's hard. Not to mention I have no clue how to get into it, like what a good starting one would be, guidebooks, etc? I'm not looking to be a pro or anything, but it'd be sweet to strum out some tunes.

Any advice on how to get started in any of this?

Given that you never really learned it in middle school or something, the best way to try and learn the violin would be through private lessons. Most college or even high school level orchestra classes would be far too much for a beginner. There should be a music store where you can ask about it somewhere in your area, but keep in mind that getting your instrument and lessons will be pretty expensive, depending on where you look. It took me about 5-6 months to get the basics of actually playing on viola, but I never did private lessons and my 5th grade orchstra met once or twice a week at this point. It should take a little less than that with lessons, but I've never been exposed to that environment and every person is different. Don't expect to master violin for years, like upwards of 8-10 years depending on how quickly you learn. Regardless of that, don't ever fret about how 'bad' you think you are, just keep practicing and you will get there. Playing an instrument is one of the best experiences you can have in life, even if you'd prefer to do something else as a career, like me.

 

[Champion Jim]

Band kid checking in. I've played trumpet for 15 years, did marching band, symphony orchestra, all that. I graduated high school in 2005 but I still play for the Salvation Army every winter. I serve as athletic director for my school now but I always let kids miss things if they have a band/sport conflict.

 

[theAkash]

i play baritone horn and i enjoy it a lot! i'm a bit of a special case in that i don't have much band experience at all - i actually was never in middle school band and only in high school band for a year and a half, and half a year of it was on bass drum; we urgently needed another bass for marching season, i'd expressed interest in percussion, and i had so little experience they decided i wouldn't be much of a loss to the brass. i got a special recommendation from my band director for college because he knew i practiced my ass off in the time i was there, and even with so little experience i'd like to consider myself a decent (if below-average for college band) player. it helps that baritone is one of the easier instruments to learn.

Tips on reading music-- you shouldn't be reading note by note, or counting the beat for each note. Try reading in blocks, such as 1 to 2 bars at the same time, and recognize the pattern for the rhythmn and melody to decide the proportion of each note.
You'll read like 5 times faster using this method.

i'm trying to learn to do this at the moment, actually! reading music note-by-note any faster than quarter notes at about a hundred bpm is hell and i have to play a piece a bunch of times to learn it bit by bit, which can be pretty unpleasant at times. a number of other people have recommended this method to me and it's slowly starting to work as i get more reflexively familiar with common patterns.

 

[VexenReplica]

I played in band from elementary school until my freshman year of uni. Definitely some of the pieces I remember vividly, as a flute player, were Metroplex, Pictures at an Exhibition (not the whole piece lol but a selection from that), Ghost Train, Wild Nights, A Klezmer Karnival, El Camino Real, Vesuvius, and American Overture. I was never in the top band, first chair, and I never really wanted that top spot (my good friend had that priveledge). We often joked about how I always got to play the "third flute solos." Band was, for me, more about the friendships (and experiences...) and less about the actual music (probably how I ended up in the last chair...). Honestly, some of my fondest memories from high school come from after-school sectionals and some of the phrases our conductor would say.
I will say though that marching band was at first a torture but became tolerable as time advanced. It's an acquired skill doing the 8-to-5 with proper flute angles ;) I eventually became co-section leader (under protest) and basically didn't play a note and yelled out the commands (not like anyone can hear us anyway, it's all brass and drumline).

 

[Fluke]

That's too bad... I love cool percussion arrangements :[ Were they played on set?

If you mean on a drum kit/set, yes. The covers were recorded in a friends studio using semi-professional microphones.

 

[AzureRaptor]

I've been playing piano for 15 years, including classic, jazz, and modern music. I've made piano covers of some of my favorite tunes from shows, anime, etc. I still make time to play at least an hour every day :)

 

[Pastelle]

Bumping this to share some stuff. My wind ensemble is playing some pieces that require flugelhorn, and flugelhorn is actually the best thing ever. The sound they make is amazing and mellow, and super fun to use to soar with some smooth melodies. They're so sweet sounding. This is the piece were playing it in. Super cool piece that I'm excited for. Flugelhorn is used in the third movement.

What are some pieces you guys are working on/excited about? I'm always looking for some new things to listen to.

 

[Hulavuta]

Although I've been keeping up with music I haven't been in band for a while, not since 2011. It was good for me to learn and I don't regret doing it at all, but the hyper-competitive nature of band in school was not my kind of thing. I was first chair and it felt like people were trying to (figuratively) assassinate me for my spot or something, couldn't deal with that shit man. In high school it was even worse, because for whatever reason people decided that we should be treating marching band like it's the damn marine corps and take everything super seriously and never have any fun with it. The directors and the techs were super serious and it just created this environment of guilt for all the students.

It wasn't all bad though, I did have a lot of great moments and every Friday night Football game was a blast because we could actually just have fun and chill and stuff.

Super serious hyper-competitiveness is just not what music is about to me, I'm more concerned with having fun and expressing myself through art. Obviously, you need to be at a reasonable level of skill and hold yourself to a certain standard to actually be able to play the things you want to play, but school was just too much of a negative environment for me.

I kinda gave up music for all of 2012 but I met a guitar player online in 2013 who was doing amateur recording and he got me back into music. So from that point I kinda realized I didn't hate music, just band, so I started playing again. I kinda had to figure out for myself what I was interested in playing and eventually realized I had an affinity for soundtracks from various games and anime so that's what I've been focusing on since then.

I started on Alto Saxophone in 2007, so I guess you could say it's my main instrument. I also learned Tenor Saxophone and Trumpet while in school (unfortunately my tenor is broken and it's a weird situation because it was cheap anyway, so I'd rather get a new one than pay to fix it, but I can't really sell it if it's broken so it's just kinda sitting there). My friend is sending me his old Trumpet for Christmas, so that's cool. I'm learning Piano and Harmonica at the moment. I do own a guitar and am really interested in learning to play it, but I think I should try not to focus on too many things at the moment. Maybe next year. I also play the kazoo, just to add some padding to my instrument count, haha.


Here are some videos of me playing back when I was 13 years old. They're all kinda low quality so you can't really see what I look like (not that I even look like that anymore lol) but you can hear me pretty well I guess. They're all recorded with regular video cameras so the audio and visual quality aren't so great. The balance of instruments might be a little off, but oh well:

This one is of me in the 2010 All-County Band. I'm on the right side, 4th chair Alto.

Another one of me in 8th grade. I'm the Tenor soloist at 1:34, improv of course! I am not Sam.

 

[Mattapod]

i dont know if this is appropriate, but while i was not in band in high school, to say i love music is an understatement. i did play in a few bands when i was younger (guitar and bass) as well as work in a professional recording studio. is it appropriate to show that type of stuff? if not, cool thread regardless!

 

[Pastelle]

i dont know if this is appropriate, but while i was not in band in high school, to say i love music is an understatement. i did play in a few bands when i was younger (guitar and bass) as well as work in a professional recording studio. is it appropriate to show that type of stuff? if not, cool thread regardless!

No, please feel free to share!

 

[Euphonos]

The first time I entered into the realm of music, I grew overwhelmed to intertwining voices that produced a sonorous, harmonious sound. I felt delighted with the emotions channeling throughout each individual voice contributing to such wonderful music. That is choral music—my passion, my eternal flame. As I poured my body, mind, heart and soul to the wonders of choral music, the flame kept burning in a way that I yearned to learn more about the intricacies, the nuances, and the emotions behind it.

Yes, I've been engaged to choral music since 2007 (well, 2005, but that was the year that I started becoming more dedicated to it). Although I am not part of any choir since March of this year (due to a very long story), I still yearn to listen to more choral music because that is where I become so passionate to ever since. After listening to various choral works, I really wanted to say this: I LOVE CONTEMPORARY CHORAL COMPOSERS SO MUCH. It doesn't mean that I don't like other choral works from the past time periods, but it is in the Contemporary period where the imaginations of the composers are so surreal; they even incorporated these ideas and capitalized on the diverse capabilities of the human voice to make such interesting, well thought-out masterpieces, such as these: (well, I'm not there in those videos, haha)

Ang Tren
Text by Jose Corazon Palma; Music by Saunder Choi
Performed by the University of Visayas Chorale; Anna Abeleda-Piquero, conducting​

Salitaan
Music by Katherine Trangco
Performed by Aleron; Christopher Arceo, conducting​

 

[Empress]

Dead men tell no tales? False, they do.

For the longest time I've been a percussionist. Started playing the drums in 5th grade and I've loved them ever since. Still play them to this day, with my specialty being the timpani; it's been a perfect fit for me due to my absolute pitch.

However, as of recently, I've added vocals into my repertoire. I've been selected to be part of my school's a cappella group next semester. Me and Pokenoob696 are gonna kill it on bass together! We're already practicing, and here's a preview of what's to come...

I must say it's quite a fitting song in terms of my situation with the forums now. Well, for the most part.

Did the best I could with this damn cold :P

 

[Samoyed]

I play the piano and viola; and I have a few compositions. Here's two:
https://soundcloud.com/queziviat/the-blade-theme-2
https://soundcloud.com/queziviat/wind-quartet-in-a-major

I'm also in a junior orchestra.

 

[Mishimono]

I play Tenor Sax in the school band and Ive been playing piano for quite a few years now. Im still bad at them because I hate practicing but I do like performing once Im done a song

 

[Berks]

Okey dokey folks, huge choir nerd Berks coming up!

I sing Tenor 1 and I love it cause I just barely... unlocked?? a higher range for my voice so now I can consistently hit from the E flat below low C to High C without falsetto which I've been working on for 3~ years so I'm v proud of that n_n

In terms of repertoire (cause I just fuckin love to brag about my singing lol) I've been in top-level choir since 8th grade, and was one of three sophomores added to my high school's top-level choir. I have been to all-state (which is a lie, it's really just top of Utah / Wasatch front down to Provo-ish area) honor choir every year I've been in choir... but the best (and my favorite part of choir) is that I've done some pretty neat solos throughout! I helped my hs choir get a 1 at State Solo & Ensemble by doing both solo parts for Mata Del Anima Sola by Antonio Estevez. The highlight, however, is this solo I sang at State Honor Choir in 9th Grade which, although not representative of the current level I sing at, was super freaking ridiculously cool to do.

Here's the video (I'm the first guy):

(Keep in mind that that is recorded from the balcony section of Abravanel Hall on my choir teacher's cell phone and that I wasn't miked (!!) and that that was smol Berks there)

BUT YEAH I LOVE SINGING WHAT ABOUT YOU GUYS n_n

 

[Martin]

I'm in a concert band (first F horn), a brass band (solo tenor horn) and an orchestra (second or fourth F horn, depending on how many people are available to play), and I've performed in the Royal Albert Hall twice due to a youth music group that I'm part of. I'm not that good honestly, but music does make up a large part of my life. TBH the brass band is kinda crap due to the extreme mix in ability lol, but the other two are pretty good. I have a lot of fun playing my instrument in a group, although it is getting harder to balance it between my studies, my older interests (mainly pokemon and vocaloid, but also general nintendo gaming and listenening to jazz/classical music) and my newer interests (mainly anime and manga, but also listening to foreign music and watching general tear-jerking TV/movies) and I've never really enjoyed solo playing that much - meaning that I'm finding myself playing my instrument less and less nowadays.

I've got a few bits and pieces that I can share.
A clip of the brass band playing Star Wars in November: http://beatrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/BYBB-Star-Wars.mp4?_=1
A clip of the orchestra playing something (I think its Schubert but I'm probably wrong; I've already forgotten the name of the other piece and it is very likely that it is that as opposed to the Schubert): http://beatrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/BYO-Massenet-Le-Cid-Navarraise.mp4?_=1

A photo of the concert band from around three years ago (I was the 3rd horn at the time)

I'm the one on the far right with the messy hair.

 

[GlassGlaceon]

Okey dokey folks, huge choir nerd Berks coming up!

I sing Tenor 1 and I love it cause I just barely... unlocked?? a higher range for my voice so now I can consistently hit from the E flat below low C to High C without falsetto which I've been working on for 3~ years so I'm v proud of that n_n

In terms of repertoire (cause I just fuckin love to brag about my singing lol) I've been in top-level choir since 8th grade, and was one of three sophomores added to my high school's top-level choir. I have been to all-state (which is a lie, it's really just top of Utah / Wasatch front down to Provo-ish area) honor choir every year I've been in choir... but the best (and my favorite part of choir) is that I've done some pretty neat solos throughout! I helped my hs choir get a 1 at State Solo & Ensemble by doing both solo parts for Mata Del Anima Sola by Antonio Estevez. The highlight, however, is this solo I sang at State Honor Choir in 9th Grade which, although not representative of the current level I sing at, was super freaking ridiculously cool to do.

Here's the video (I'm the first guy):

(Keep in mind that that is recorded from the balcony section of Abravanel Hall on my choir teacher's cell phone and that I wasn't miked (!!) and that that was smol Berks there)

BUT YEAH I LOVE SINGING WHAT ABOUT YOU GUYS n_n

Sweet dude, love the solo!

That song actually seems really fun to sing, but do you think it would have the same impact with around ~10 guys bc i might show our director this song (our mens section is rly small :@)

I recently got the music we've gotten for London, and it's resting peacefully in my binder right now. Some of the songs included are Salmo 150 (really fun song for the bass/bari section, for other sections it's apparently horrifying), I Will Be A Child Of Peace, Come Ye Sinners Poor And Needy, A Jubilant Psalm, and i carry your heart with me. unfortunately i dont have video of me singing at carnegie because its sorta prohibited and the footage we do have is not accessible for public use but it was a good concert I swear!!!

my personal favorite songs we've ever done are John The Revelator, Salmo 150, and Peze Kafe, which are all super fun songs with bass/bari parts that arent just one note over and over and over like apparently every bass/bari part seems to b...

Do you (berkles) have any recommendations music-wise that we could sing (HS Choir) im thinking some songs tht would be fun/challenging/all of the above ? thanks in advance

ur fren

glass

 

[Berks]

Sweet dude, love the solo!

That song actually seems really fun to sing, but do you think it would have the same impact with around ~10 guys bc i might show our director this song (our mens section is rly small :@)

I recently got the music we've gotten for London, and it's resting peacefully in my binder right now. Some of the songs included are Salmo 150 (really fun song for the bass/bari section, for other sections it's apparently horrifying), I Will Be A Child Of Peace, Come Ye Sinners Poor And Needy, A Jubilant Psalm, and i carry your heart with me. unfortunately i dont have video of me singing at carnegie because its sorta prohibited and the footage we do have is not accessible for public use but it was a good concert I swear!!!

my personal favorite songs we've ever done are John The Revelator, Salmo 150, and Peze Kafe, which are all super fun songs with bass/bari parts that arent just one note over and over and over like apparently every bass/bari part seems to b...

Do you (berkles) have any recommendations music-wise that we could sing (HS Choir) im thinking some songs tht would be fun/challenging/all of the above ? thanks in advance

ur fren

glass

I think that song would do really well in a small ensemble too, as long as y'all can get the harmony parts down consistently i think 3 or 4 to a part isnt bad at all!

Hoooooooooo boy do i have HS recommendations n_n

• My personal favorite song I have ever sung is Dream of a Blessed Spirit by Dan Hall. I've done both the tenor and bass parts and I'd give the edge to the bass part but the whole song is so good!!! It's sooo good!!
• Northern Lights by Ola Gjeilo is good, fairly technical but about where an upper level HS choir can be for sure
• O Magnum Mysterium by Morten Lauridsen is easily one of the prettiest songs i have ever heard. It's a bit more technically challenging than the other two butbit is WORTH IT. My choir is putting it together rn and its a bit tough because the song is very emotional and its tough to sing through the tears ;~;
• If you have a really strong Tenor range soloist, take a look at Mata Del Anima Sola by Antonio Estévez. It's a personal favorite that goes very quickly but is otherwise pretty simple
• If you have access to a pretty good pianist and a cello player, Boat On Tai Lake by Reed Criddle is a fun one, especially if you're looking to broaden the language scope of your repertoire

Those are just a few of my favorites but I will legit talk about choir songs all day n_n