lulzmattr
New Guy
What's a "free time"?
Posts: 6
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Post by lulzmattr on Dec 26, 2012 15:18:03 GMT -5
Just a thought I've had for a while, how often is it that a band really values their front ensemble? Because I've seen some really good front ensembles that stayed together, played beautifully, supplied the music for an entire movement, and grooved/performed amazingly. Being in my school's front ensemble myself, there's really a lot front ensembles do. Yet it seems like the marchers get the credit above all. I was talking to a parent from a different band at a BOA event once and she asked if I was in a band. I said yes and she smiled, asking me what I play. When I replied "marimba", she didn't seem too excited.
This isn't to say that all schools totally shun their front ensembles - my school is actually pretty great with us. It just seems that the rest of the band is a tight-knit community and we're just in the front "not doing much".
So really, how valuable is the front ensemble to your band? Any personal examples?
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Post by Original Kyle on Dec 26, 2012 15:21:03 GMT -5
Our front ensemble consist of most of the kids who couldn't hack it out in drumline, but that doesn't mean they aren't important, my band finds a way to have them add to the show equal to everyone else.
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Post by lincolnshirepony on Dec 26, 2012 15:26:25 GMT -5
At my school, the pit often gets forgotten about. Like our band director usually forgets about us when thinking over logistics, which ends up making it really hard on us to figure out where to go or what to do with our instruments. And we have to sit outside when the band is just running drill. >.< Our drumline instructor doesn't really do much of anything with us, except occasionally telling us to follow along on a practice pad and doing a run through of the show music.
That said my band couldn't pull percussion features off without a front ensemble, and our show music does need mallet and auxiliary parts. I think that we're valuable in my band, just not very appreciated.
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pitqurl
Conductors best friend
likes long walks on the beach
Posts: 33
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Post by pitqurl on Dec 26, 2012 15:26:59 GMT -5
i know exactly what you mean when you say
"the rest of the band is a tight-knit community and we're just in the front "not doing much"."
that was me last year, but this year i branched out and made more friends in other sections.
the front is sorta considered the "drumline" rejects in some peoples eyes, though i think that is untrue. some people in my schools front ensemble WANTED to stay in the front. personally, im having trouble knowing which to try out for next year. they both have there ups and downs, like any section.
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lulzmattr
New Guy
What's a "free time"?
Posts: 6
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Post by lulzmattr on Dec 26, 2012 15:28:24 GMT -5
Yeah, that's another thing I forgot to bring up. There are the front ensembles that actually want to be on the drumline and the ones that are full of actual front ensemble members at heart. They're both really important, though it seems like the ones full of people that really want to be there generally do better. I'm in a giant front ensemble (21 members this past season) and only about 3 of them wanted to be on the drumline, and we ended up being the best front ensemble in our school's history.
And musically, we're used for both texture and melody. Our show was sky-themed and it started off with a bunch of body from the marchers and we got to play really cool, light licks that made up the music for that part. But other than features like that, people typically just see us as cymbal crashes.
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pitqurl
Conductors best friend
likes long walks on the beach
Posts: 33
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Post by pitqurl on Dec 26, 2012 15:31:55 GMT -5
with my band being a no-cut marching band, we have those freshman that only wanted to " play da drumz". and then just dont care when there placed in the front. i dont think its fair that the front is a place from the drumline rejects.
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Post by mskwatson on Dec 26, 2012 15:37:11 GMT -5
As a former member and then the instructor of a front ensemble, yeah. Our director totally forgets us. I mean, sure we exist. But she trusts us to govern ourselves. Which is no big deal. But she never gives us any feedback unless we're obviously doing something wrong and she doesn't ever give us positive feeback. Due to this, our front ensemble was TWO people this year. And shrinking. We might not even have it this year. To the rest of the band, we're band members like they are. We're not drumline rejects or lazy or anything. There's a nice overall band attitude. Just wish people wouldn't forget we exist.
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Rachel
New Guy
The Overly Excited Mallet Player
Posts: 6
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Post by Rachel on Dec 26, 2012 16:58:15 GMT -5
My director does his best to remember us, which I am really grateful. We are hopefully getting a new pit instructor next year (still a maybe), and I am thrilled  We have a drumline instructor, who does his best to help us out, but the drumline keeps him busy most of the time during band camp and such. Our drumline instructor is super awesome and includes us a lot, which made the whole percussion section come together and get closer. We usually come earlier than the rest of the band and have a full on percussion practice, which I absolutely love! Other than that, I am very thankful for a band that really likes the idea of Pit, because I've heard sad stories about how other bands' front ensembles are treated, which is horrible. People do not know how much harder Pit's music is, and it's sad how they immediately jump to conclusions and assume the fact that since we don't march, we don't do anything, which is extremely wrong. |
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Post by hpstarkidwhovian on Dec 26, 2012 17:12:31 GMT -5
My band is huge (around 750 people only counting band members!) and this year we had i think 14 people in the front ensemble. Our percussion instructor never forgets about us...well, except he forgot about the fact that we did Vic Firth's 40 essential rudiments during drum camp and made us do them or at least work on them the last 2 weeks or so...but, oh well!
There are a lot of times where i feel like the front ensemble is the "step-sister" of the band. And i mean, we've joked about that before! But, when it comes to half time and we're not doing the UIL show, the front ensemble doesn't do a whole lot. We play maybe 1 song and that's it. We play 1 song with the band, and then the band minus the front ensemble will play a color guard tune and a drill team tune and so the pit, well, we just sit behind our instruments and watch. And then one of the drum majors blows his/her whistle and everyone goes to "Eagles" and the front ensemble is rushing to get off the field so the band can spell out "eagles" and play the fight song. So we aren't really a huge part of the band, but we ARE still there!
This was my 2nd year and in the pit and i had a lot of fun! My first year not everyone really got along with each other and part of that was probably maturity with at least one person. And it really depended on what everyone's attitudes were about their instrument and the people around them and the music. Our section leader last year was great, but we didn't really do anything as a section. This year, our section leader has been amazing! We've actually done stuff together and we were like our own little family! We really enjoyed being around each other and playing the show and making up our own jokes and playing games and everything! And we're really not sure who is going to be section leader next year because either people are graduating, or they're not good enough to be section leader, or they don't want to be section leader, or they're not focused enough to be section leader, or they want to be on the battery. I would be one of the people that doesn't really want to be section leader and also wants to be on the battery. We have some really good people that could really be good section leaders, but they're either going to quit or they're too quiet or, well, just about anything! My friend is going to try out to be section leader, but i don't think she'll make it...i could be completely wrong, but i'm not even sure who's going to try out to be section leader...
I hope everyone has an awesome front ensemble and loves being a part of band because i know i love being a part of band! <3
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xyloiscooltoo
New Guy
Goodbye social life. Hello marching band!
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Post by xyloiscooltoo on Dec 26, 2012 17:19:57 GMT -5
The worst thing about front ensemble is that, yes, the director doesn't pay much attention to you. We could completely screw up and no one would say anything. But we could do incredibly well, play beautifully, and no one would notice either.
But being in pit is being part of a family. Yes, band is a family to me, but pit is just an extension of that. I love my pitsters with all my heart. Even though we get overlooked, we look out for each other. We stick together. And that means the world to me.
Pit is so weird in the sense that you get a mixture of some of the best and worst musicians in the band. Our front ensemble music is challenging and fun and offers so much creativity to the music.
Front ensembles mean more than people care to notice.
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lulzmattr
New Guy
What's a "free time"?
Posts: 6
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Post by lulzmattr on Dec 26, 2012 17:35:19 GMT -5
hpstarkidwhovian: WHOVIAN AND POTTERHEAD, F YEAH.
One interesting thing is the front ensemble's separation from the rest of the band could be very good or very bad. It can be good if you befriend everyone and make a good first impression. But some front ensembles exclude members so much it just ruins the marching band experience as a whole.
I have an interesting one - my front ensemble does generally exclude me (I'm a freshman), and aside from those few "cool" seniors, not many members took the time to befriend me. It seems like front ensemble members are in their own little groups. However, I made really great friends with the other freshmen and 8th graders. So as I get older and higher up in the ensemble (probably going to be center as a junior) I'm hoping to make friends with all the newer members and make them feel welcome so we can actually have a front ensemble that everyone loves as their own family.
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Post by mskwatson on Dec 26, 2012 17:39:20 GMT -5
Pit in my band is really inclusive because we draw from other sections. So this year we had a euphonium player and a french horn player. Plus, our band is just kind of a huge family. Since it's not really competitive, everyone just likes each other. So that's really good. A part of it is that I'm the instructor and I only graduated this past year, so I still have friends in the band that I drag over and make them befriend the pit members.
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Post by scotchbingeington on Jun 20, 2013 14:41:11 GMT -5
For a variation in texture in sound as far as music goes, front ensemble is necessary, regardless of what people may think of it. At my school, us in pit are loved by some, but called lazy by the others. We generally don't care, as we do our jobs well.
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