# Do/Did you play in High School Band/Orchestra?



## MysticCompose

I came up with this thread idea. Actually, I wanted it to be a poll. But I can't find the option to do that; maybe because I'm new.
So if anyone just wants to chat about what instrument they played while in school, this is the place!

I played the French Horn. I very much enjoyed it, and I started off pretty decent with it too. By my second year playing I made the All-City band, third chair. But then, my feeling of love for playing suddenly changed with all the competition they forced us to do, both individually, and as a group. By the end of my junior year I was burned out. Competitions didn't make me want to strive to be better. It just gave me contempt for playing. Somewhere along the way I would even make mistakes purposefully during auditions, just to "stick it to the man" and hope it was just bad enough to keep me out of the running. I really lost touch with what learning music was really all about. And I miss it. I wish I kept with the French Horn. What a beautiful instrument. Oh well, haha, sorry for the rant. I hope everyone else has a happier story.


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## Fletcher

I played the violin in ensembles and orchestras at a Saturday school aged seven. During a rehearsal of Vaughan Williams Folk Song suite in my early teens - despite being the concertmaster - I got incredibly jealous of the oboist having all the attention and good solos and so decided to learn it for myself. I played the oboe in County Youth Orchestras during late teens, Music College ensembles now professionally. 

I now miss playing the violin in a beefy string section..


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## Pugg

I did play the piano in some "music" events during high school, some well know pieces by Gilbert & Sullivan, enjoy it very much although I must admit I would have like to sing .


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## corndogshuffle

I started playing trumpet in 6th grade. I didn't really want to be in band, my friend and I just wanted to get out of class for an hour every week. My family moved to a different state between 6th and 7th grade and I tried to quit band. My mom asked me if I was sure (she thought I actually liked band), and I decided to give it another year. My middle school band director was my favorite teacher ever and I ended up practicing really hard because I wanted to go to Universal Islands of Adventure on our spring trip. Along the way I ended up fully buying in and loving band. 

After 9th grade my family moved back to our hometown (just outside of Washington, DC). Was a decent but not great player (was never top band material) and kept playing trumpet until summer after 10th grade. My band director came up to me and said "I need a tuba, are you willing to switch" and told me that if I worked hard enough there was an open spot in symphonic band. So I brought a tuba and a sousaphone home over the summer and got lessons with a tuba player in the President's Own Marine Band. 

I came back after working really hard and went from being a middle tier trumpet player to the best tuba player at my school. Within a year and a half, I earned my way into a brass ensemble led by a National Symphony hornist, become 1st chair All-State in Virginia, and earned a major scholarship to play tuba and study music education at the University of Kentucky. Now I teach for a living and play on the side. And to think I nearly quit band after just one year...


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## MysticCompose

Wow, these are great stories! Thanks for contributing, everyone!


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## arpeggio

I played saxophone in junior high and high school band.

I went to college and eventually got a masters in music education.

While I was with the 75th Army Band at Fort Belvoir I took up the bassoon.

Eventually left music. I earned an associate degree in accounting and worked as a pension auditor with the United States Government.

I continued to play bassoon with community orchestras and bands.


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## david johnson

I taught myself to play trumpet in the 7th grade. My school started a band program when I was a 9th grader. I went on to earn a BA, MME, and Specialist in music/music ed. Retired after teaching music 40 years. I still play.


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