Wow, way to take the cowards way out. I'm assuming you weren't planning on majoring in music in college then? Most universities frown on people that quit band.

I especially like the fact that you make a point of telling us about your band sucking. Perhaps you could've done your part and taken on a bit more responsibility and helped the band not suck so much. Instead, you don't get your way so you quit.

Ahhh...the innocence of youth.

in giving them several stands songs that I made myself. I havent officially quit. I'm waiting to see what the show is. There is 0 posibility of me getting percussion at all, so what is the point of staying if I have 0 chance of anything, why stay?

I nearly hate trombone, and everything I have been doin has been for the good of the band, now I'm saying what's in it for me? I hate playing something to whcih my heart does not belong. To the person that said earlier they want to play quads, at least your are on the line. What I am saying would be like you love percussion but then you move to french horn for the good of the band, until the french horns got bigger, but when they did, they wouldn't let you go back, wouldn't you be extremly mad? That is exactly what happened to me!

It's not that I'm nott getting my way, its that I worked my butt off to get back on the line, while I gave as much as I could to the band, just to find out that all my hard work for the band has was not appreciated, and that I have wasted my time for 2-5 years teching myself how to play so I could join the highschool line. When I went to percussion camp to LEARN, NOT TO TRY TO GET ON, he kicked me out of the bandroom and said, "I have told you time and time again that I will gladly give you private lessons, and yet you have not come to me at all except through emails, and having a "confrence" with your parents, just after a concert of all places. Now, if you are here to learn, all I can do is give you the written things, but other than that you will just be a distraction."
I said, "alright, yes sir, I'm getting my stuff and getting out of your way."

We worte a letter to the principle saying:
When my son, Will Dennis became a student at McAdory Middle School, he was a percussion player. His father and I bought a drum kit in order for him to play percussion. For one reason or another, Will was switched to trombone. Now, Will wants to go back to his original instrument, the percussion. When he asked Mr. Pritchard, Mr. Pritchard flatly refused. So Will's father and I spoke to Mr. Pritchard after the Spring Concert and Mr. Pritchard still refuses. Mr. Pritchard says it is his policy that no student switches instruments. If that is the case, then why was he able to switch in the first place? At the time, Mr. Pritchard said if Will goes back to percussion, that the "horn line will suffer," but come to find out, many of the female horn players have been allowed to go to color guard, dance, etc. which if the truth is that the horn line is suffering, allowing these horn players to go to auxiliary, will make the horn line suffer more. When reminded that we spent hundreds of dollars for Will to play percussion, Mr. Pritchard said "that isn't my problem."

Today (April 30), Will was in the bandroom when percussion camp started. Mr. Pritchard acted very harshly toward Will, humiliating him in front of the students and complaining that my husband and I talked to him about Will going back to percussion "after a concert of all places". Mr. Pritchard said he would only give Will private lessons on percussion. Will wants to be in the percussion group, not play percussion as an individual. Will doesn't want to quit band, because he wants to go to college on a music scholarship and become a music composer/teacher. Mr. Pritchard has given Will an unfair ultimatum, "play trombone or quit." If Will quits the band, then he can't get a scholarship to any university. I very, very much resent the fact that Mr. Pritchard is holding Will's future as a musician over his head, instead of encouraging Will to be the best musician he can be. I don't think that Mr. Pritchard should have to power to ruin Will's future in this way, just because Will wants to enhance the band with the ability of playing more than one instrument.

we never sent it. I am not a coward for quitting, i was being a non-conformist, not a sheep.

I do see where you are coming from JacketSnare, that sounds like a very unfair situation and that would make me very mad. I say you send that email to the principal that an act of "singling out" if you ask me, but yeah, if that was me I would not take that and I would go to the ends of the Earth to get a fair chance to try and do what I love.

And about privae lessons, am I wrong or is drumline a group and team effort, and unless you're in a group, what's the point? Solos get boring after the 3rd or 4th time

we never sent that email by the way

Your letter has a lie in the first two sentences. You said in this thread that you signed up for Trombone last year. In your letter, you say you were "switched for some reason or another". You made the switch and you're attempting to portray the band director as a person who switches people arbitrarily. This is a false accusation.

Your teacher also can't inspire you to achieve if you readily admit that you won't apply yourself 100%. You also say you want to "enhance the band with the ability to play more than one instrument", and how will percussion do that? You've already indicated that there are a number of up and coming percussionists. How will adding you to the mix benefit the group. You also mentioned there are only 3-5 lower brass coming up. How will you moving enhance that section?

I also have to agree with your director. Why would you approach him after a concert? If you have an issue with a teacher, the professional thing to do would be to schedule time and have a meeting, not ambush him after a concert.

i also agree with this. anytime i talk to my director its always after a practice or in the morning before school starts. i don't set up a time like this person said. though i would but mr.cornutt has specifically said in the morning or after practice is perfectly fine.

also, i do understand where you're coming from. working yourself and then not getting it is a hard thing. ive worked myself to my heart's content and then some for tenors. now tryouts were wednesday but idk what ive made yet..how ever i do know there's a strong chance i'll be on tenors but also a slight chance i won't be. so if im not i will be sorely disappointed in similar way to your situation.

still...i don't think i would quit band completely if i were you..i know tons of people who have quit for reasons like yours and all them say they regret doing so..so think hard and long about it dude

"I nearly hate trombone," " Solos get boring after the 3rd or 4th time"

...What? I really couldn't take you or your efforts to make it on your line seriously after these statements. If you had any serious interest or love for music you wouldn't be saying that.

First off, dedicated musicians don't balk at instruments, I for one am apt to at least try and play anything I can get my hands on. Dismissing an instrument is completely the opposite of the attitude I'd want from any person I'm working with in a band. It shows that you have no real dedication towards improving yourself, no ability to work outside your comfort zone to improve yourself and your ensemble, and no understanding of the effort other people put in to be a part of the 'group and team effort'.

And solos boring? That really ought to stand on its own as a tragically comic statement. Any piece of music can be infinitely engaging if you're committed to it. Interpreting and perfecting (not just being able to play) a piece of music is something that can take a soloist months, or years. Look at Yo-Yo Ma's recordings of Bach's Cello Suites, for example. I'm not saying a student should take that degree of depth to everything they play, but to play music WELL you have to be able to work for something better than what you can already do, always, no matter what your conditions.

So basically any claim of yours to hard work has been thrown away in my eyes. I'm surprised your BD was as kind to you as he was.

after the concert was the only time both my parents could ttalk at the same time with him

Well, I need to ask, if your trying to get on percussion so badly, why dont you just take the private lessons from your band director?

Seriously? And having your parents trying to get involved in this, dont take that way, because if you do get your way, other kids wont like you, and theres a good chance the band director wont like you anymore, Its almost like having your parents fight your battles for you

Just buck up, march trombone if you have to, take the private lessons, seriously talk to your band director, dont bum rush him after a concert with your parents, find a time, to sit and talk about this