The Brass Check

Being in percussion, during football/marching season, you’re either in Drumline or Pit. Drumline is the section of percussion that marches while Pit is the section that does not. I, as an eighth grader, tried out for Drumline, and was already planning the year ahead expecting fantastic memories. However, I was not fully aware of my skills, or lack of. I was not granted a spot on Drumline and was placed in Pit. After this, I decided to stay in Pit for another year because I believed that my…

On the night of September 30th, I was able to attend the Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra’s concert at Baldwin Wallace University. A feature that made them unique was their ability to arrange modern songs into a salsa format. It was a lively performance where many audience members danced along with the band, demonstrating the danceable feature of the music. The orchestra used many of the traditional salsa instruments, including timbales, conga drums, a cowbell, and a guiro. Mambo influences were…

In ‘Respect’ there are many different musical lines that bring together the piece. In the intro of the song it is just the brass, guitar, and drums playing for four measures until Aretha Franklin starts singing. The back-up singers and the piano’s entrance is about a half of a beat after Aretha’s entrance. At this point all of the instruments are in full swing. The brass has a solo about half way through the song; the saxophone having the melody and the trombone and trumpets playing the harmony.…

The brass line brings the sound and the flare to any modern marching band and drum corp. The section, if played correctly can blend perfectly together. Each instrument has its own unique history and has evolved from their ancestors into almost a completely different instrument. From being used for religious purposes to signaling or provoking fear into enemies eyes, the instruments have evolved into the beautiful yet powerful sounding instruments today. Brass instruments have vastly different…

When I was growing up and my brother attended high school, I always enjoyed going to Friday night football games and watching the best part of the game: the halftime show. While I sat in the stands, my brother would be marching sets, creating intricate formations and blasting his trumpet at fortissimo. I dreamed to be a part of the sets of formations and play difficult music at rapid tempos. Once I entered middle school, I immediately signed up for band and assigned to play the oboe, a woodwind…

Music has played a gigantic role in defining who I am. When I was little I was always involved in music. Even if it was not me making the music, I was always bopping my head along or tapping my foot to the beat of the music. My parents were surprised to find out that I was the child that was fascinated by the marching band walking in the parade. I knew by a young age that I wanted to be in that band. The day I started to play my instruments changed my life, each in a different way. In 2002 I…

Marching band has been influential in helping me to develop into the young adult I am today. I have gained confidence and have responsibility and leadership through participation in marching band. Marching band helps shape me into the leader and adult I am today. Prior to joining marching band I lack confidence and feel self-conscious about myself. Participating in marching band helps increase my confidence and allows me the freedom to express myself through music. Before I used to not take…

Like the trumpet, the trombone is thought about a round birthed tool given that it has comprehensive parts of tubes, mainly in the slide part, that are of constant dimension. Tone trombones generally have actually a birthed of 0.450" (little birthed) to 0.547" (big or instrumental birthed) after the leadpipe as well as via the slide. The layout of these tapers impacts the modulation of the tool. As with various other metal tools, noise is generated by blowing air via pursed lips generating a…

Ever since marching band has been an extracurricular activity, there has been debate about whether or not marching band should be considered a sport. There are multiple arguments, both supporting marching band being considered a sport and it not being considered a sport. The arguments for marching band to be considered a sport include there is a lot of physical exertion, it is used as a physical education waiver, and people pay more attention to “sports” than they do “activities” or “clubs.” The…

Learning how to read and write was one of the first major lessons each of us have learned. Each of us sitting in room 319 from 10:20 to 11:15 have a unique story about learning how to manipulate letters into words and words into sentences. All of us have a different event that stuck with us no matter what age we experienced it. There is no set way we as individuals learn information. Just like our finger print, our learning methods and tactics are unique to each of us. My individual experience…