Band Camp has ended. I am on marching snare for the first time. The first half-time show we will do is a Jim Hendrix show. The will be Purple Haze, Cross-Town Traffic, and Fire.

No Hey Joe? No Spanish Castle Magic?

Well at least you have Cross Town Traffic.

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Kyle L - Thrillnetwork Speedzone Lead

Our Band Camp ended a week ago, and our Chicago theme this year is awesome. Trombone feature from the Blues Brothers!!! Whoo!!!
Our first football game was last night, and our halftime show only consisted of the first two movements of our 4-piece show, but either way I think we did all right.
Our show this year features Chicago! (That toddlin' town) (The arrangement is actually called "Chicago Opener" lol), Metallica's Fight Fire with Fire, Frank Sinatra's My Kind of Town, and Sweet Home Chicago from The Blues Brothers. It probably the most fun show we've done my high school career because it features tempo changes in three out of the four songs, a half-time section in the second movement, and 12 4-to-5 steps backwards ad 176 bpm. I just wish it had an epic 10/8 closer like I've imagined ever since I played a piece in 10/8 time. Has anyone ever played "Goddess of Fire"?

Also, I went to see the DCI World quarterfinals at the local movie theater a few nights ago, and I have to say, I was AMAZED by some of the things the bands did. Is anyone on TN in a Drum Corps or has ever been in one? Because me and my trombone-mate are considering going out for one after we graduate from college and learn baritone. And, did anyone see Phantom Regiment's show this year? That was the coolest show ever.

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Next park: WDW (Late December 2008-January 2009)
After: Cedar Point (April-May 2009)
Then: Somewhere (Summer '09)

I may or may not go for Pit in the Academy- I'm not too good with four mallets though, so I'd have to work a lot on that.

I think I might try to get some other stuff after high school though.

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o hai. i herd u liek mudkipz?

I've never really listened to Hendrix much so I don't know much of his songs.

I will want to be in a drum corp in the not to distant future.

I'm still learning how to play that stuff.

Well, school has started. Band is still practicing marching, and the music. I am now in Mens Choir and from the sounds of it, this will be a fun experience.

Today we just started learning one of the songs we will sing for the October concert.

Lately after school the drummers are doing sectionals learning the visuals, and parts we suck on. And good for me, I've learned alot.

Slow down on the posts...

And to this thread I add that learning the Piano as a second musical instrument is hard as hell.

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Kyle L - Thrillnetwork Speedzone Lead

ok I will Kyle

And yes the piano is a hard one lol. It's the coordination of the hands that makes it difficult

Piano is hard period. The only instrument I can think of that is harder to learn is the organ.

I had my first Varsity Show Choir performance today at the homecoming assembly. It's true. We rocked everything. This year is going to be epic for Varsity.

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It's a combination of many things that make Piano difficult...

1. You need to read a grand staff; both treble and bass clef at the same time.
2. Each hand typically plays individual phrases.
3. There are numerous octaves.
4. Although I do not have this problem, most brass players struggle because you must use all your fingers with piano. Those playing brass use three fingers instead of 10, and those playing trombone use no fingers.

It's not impossible by all means, but its INCREDIBLY frustrating to learn as a second instrument. You look at a piece and you want to jam right through it because you know you can (On a different instrument). You can read the music easily, but playing it is a different story.

The first few weeks learning Piano I was pretty stressed out, but I've learned not to let it get to me and practice about 30 minutes a day, and not practice "too hard". To those that are trying to learn Piano, take it easy, have fun, and work at it little by little, you can only get so much done.

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Kyle L - Thrillnetwork Speedzone Lead

Number 1 is the big thing for me. With pretty much every other instrument, you're plalying one melody the entire time. With piano, you have to play numerous notes at once and keep track of several melodies.
To add to number 2, if they aren't playing individual phrases, chances are, they're playing chords, which tend to get more and more difficult as the piece progresses.

I bet there's some sort of instrument-learning level system. I can't find it anywhere, but I know I've seen something like it for languages. How romantic languages are level one, germanic level two, and so on. The languages get more difficult as the levels increase, but the easiest languages for you to learn are the ones on the same level as your native tongue (so even though French is level one and German level two, since we are native English speakers, German is probably going to be easier for us).
I would put recorder on the first level of our instrumental version. Level two would be percussion, level three brass, four woodwind, and five strings. Piano and organ would be at the top.
That would be interesting to see.

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Four Mallet on Keyboard percussion is quite difficult too, but I'd say it's probably a tad bit easier.

We had PAS (Percussive Arts Society) today, and we got two really high scores and then Jeff Queen tanked us (49pts vs 79pts and 88pts). We got excellent with Tenor drum caption, so we're pretty happy.

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o hai. i herd u liek mudkipz?

Well the first Choir concert from my school has come and gone. IDK what the other choir's sang, but the Men's choir sang "I ride an old paint", "Dan Les Chantiers", "Marry a Woman Uglier Than You", and "Joshua!".

Alot of fun, good comments, ready for the next one.

Well, it's finally here. It's All State audition day.
By 5:00 tonight, I will know whether or not all my hard work will have been worth it.

Wish me luck!

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