Can’t Sleep…, Must Bitch About Band

Okay, I’m showered and not all that tired anymore, plus hubby says he’s to hot to sleep so it looks like going to bed isn’t something I’ll be doing for a bit.

So I shall elaborate on tonights experience.

I showed up and was greeted by the band director almost right away. That was comforting, I thought “good, he remembered me and is expecting me”. I took a quick trip to the bathroom and came back and was again greeted by the band director. He said hi to me, but them proceeded to continue with his business and ignored me. Finally, he apologized for keeping me waiting then asked who I was. I told him I was Brandi and he looked at me with a look of confusion on his face and cupped his ear. I repeated myself and he shook his head and said “No, I’m looking for your instrument” So I said “Flute” and he led me over the the first flute player. She greeted me, handed me some 2nd flute music (woo to the fucking hoo) and told me to take a seat in the second row. I didn’t want to plop myself down any ole place so I waited until the only flute player on the second row was finished doing what she was doing and then as I was about to ask if the seat next to her was open she looked up and said “Have a seat” and patted the seat I was about to inquire about.

So far the experience had not been so bad. About this time I started looking around for a music stand when I realized everyone that had a music stand had brought their own. *sigh* I was not told I would need to supply my own music stand. I was able to share with the woman next to me so that annoyance was again, tolerable until another woman showed up who had forgotten her music stand. This meant 3 to a stand so I could hardly read the music, at this point I was starting to get annoyed as the first concert is in two weeks and I can’t even see the music at my first rehearsal. This again, tolerable, not enough to really make me want to quit.

Then rehearsal began. The band director stepped up and said “Okay, the big hand is on the 12 lets start”. No one bothered to look up. Everyone continued talking. Eventually he just began the first warmup with the few people who were paying attention. By the end of warm ups nearly everyone was playing, albeit not in tune.

After warm ups we started with the first peice of music which surprised the hell out of me when I saw it. None of the music chosen is at all easy. This is difficult music. This is not the kind of music you take lightly with only 2 rehearsals left before a performance. But what did I see all around me? People talking and socializing instead of playing. Most of the flute players can’t even play their parts. There are 8 flute players including me. I could probably have the music down for next week. I could probably be sitting 4th chair if he bothered to chair test. The rest of the flute players may as well not even exist and were chastising me for taking this so seriously and saying we were here to have fun. (Taking this seriously to them meant that I was playing my flute when I was supposed to instead of socializing with them) Yes, I’m sure we are here to have fun my flutey friends but we are also appearing in public in 2 weeks.

Not only are the band members mostly worthless but the director can’t direct to save his life. He’s not assertive enough, he doesn’t have his priorities in order, he can’t keep control of the band.

It was dreadful.

2 weeks before a concert and the band director hasn’t even chosen which peices he wants us to play. He was actually introducing peices to us tonight, DIFFICULT peices. He’s treating these intermediate level musicians as if they should be able to perform on a High level. These people don’t want to perform on a high level. They want to play the Macarena and Stars and Stripes Forever, throw in Mary Had a Little Lamb and you’ll have the perfect concert for these people. He’s trying to turn a combination of about 10 good musicians, 5 REALLY good one’s and about 45 really shitty one’s into the London Symphony Orchesta.

The other thing I realized tonight. Last year I attended a concert at the band shell at the community college. There was a band there that sucked hardcore. They were so bad in fact, that we left mid-concert because we were dying of boredom. I am 99% sure the band I rehearsed with tonight is that band.

I, yes, am saddened by this but not entirely surprised. I had a feeling after e-mailing back and forth with the band director. He seemed like the type that didn’t have his shit together. So yes, dissapointed, but not entirely surprised, that, at least, softens the blow significantly.

I have two choices. I can not continue with this or I can stick it out and hope to be able to sit higher next year with the good flute players instead of back with the socializing one’s. It does nothing but prove I can play, it doesn’t change the fact that the band itself, sucks. From what I heard tonight and my suspicions about this being the band we walked out on last year. I would be humiliated if anyone I knew actually CAME to one of the concerts. I honestly don’t think it’s worth it. I don’t mind being on the losing team or in a band that’s not spectacular but I don’t want to be in a band that’s so horrible I find myself embarrassed at the thought of being seen with them.

There’s about a 95% chance as of right now that I’ll not be joining this band. The only reason there’s even a 5% chance that I’ll go back is because I don’t like to make a decision based entirely on first impressions AND I found out that we actually get paid something for this. I doubt though, that I’m going to want to commit 2 nights a week through July to this horrid “musical” group. I’ll run through some of the music though and think about it some more and make a final decision sometime before the next rehearsal.

Well, I’m feeling a bit sleepier now that I got all that out of my system.