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So today my high school band marched in two memorial day parades. Before I got to the high school all of the sousas were basically destroyed, and the bell of the fiberglass conn sousa I play had snapped off where the flare starts so it was duct taped on. Today when we were lining up the duct tape gave out and the bell came crashing down on to the poor victim standing in front of me. I played half the parade without a bell but then a band parent came to the rescue with duct tape and fixed it while we were marching. It's fell off about 3 times, but always in practice;never a parade or field show!

Any suggestions on how to reattach the bell without using duct tape?

well the majority of the horn is a conn (so getting parts is probably easy, but its a different story getting the band director to take them in to get fixed).....but we take parts from abotu 6 sousas to make 2 that work...ones a brass, crappy student holton and then the conn i play believe it or not is the better of the two. I still have no spit valves! One was gone before i got there,......and the second fell off in the fall. They are duct taped shut so all the spit comes out of the bottom of the valves......because the only slide that pulls is the third valve slide, so i can't just pull slides to empty spit. I HATE my school's band program.

My condolences. Occasionally you may have to front the repair bill yourself just so you won't be frustrated playing. It won't be reimbursed, but it will be appreciated. Remember your band director has to work with a principal, an administration, a school board and a budget. Unfortunately, most do not understand the necessity of a maintenance & repair budget.

Hang in there! Do what bloke says about what to use to repair it.