Front row mentality

[Carroll]

Here are some musings:

My buddy Atticus and I play in lots of groups together. Usually we both play euphonium. Of course, we sit in the back row. While we are both conscientious musicians... we are still in the back row. I never really thought much about what that meant until we both joined a British style brass band. He plays euphonium and I play baritone. We both sit in the front row. It is way different up there. The difference comes not entirely from the parts (they are much more technique intensive) but more from the roles we play in the ensemble. Since there are no woodwinds, we assume the roles usually performed by those instruments. Proximity to the conductor is another very palpable difference. Our conductor is very laid back (a tuba player) and does not push very hard for things to be stellar (yet), but just being close enough to loan him a pencil is an eye opening experience. The pro wind ensemble we both play in is a lot better ensemble, playing much more difficult literature, but the personal stress level is considerably less. We can sink into that "low wind" rumble in the back and be somewhat anonymous. The conductor can hear wrong notes, articulations, style, etc... but is hard pressed to immediately identify the culprit. In the brass band, he not only can nail the instrument, but the guilty player.

This is an entirely different experience than our euphonium/tuba quartet where we are all expecting to be exposed like soloists or big band trombone sections where there is not a stand up conductor. Even in a jazz combo, I know that I am alone on my part, but the feeling is not the same as the "front row" anxiety we experienced.

I now look at the flutes and clarinets in my school ensembles a little differently.

[MartyNeilan]

On the middle / high school level, I never understood the directors who sat on their stools in the front of the clasrrom the entire period. The low brass and percussion were usually neglected and (rightfully so) believed they could get away with just about anything. During my student teaching time and my ever brief stint at a small religious private rural school, I would frequently move around the room when not baton slinging the entire ensemble. Working an issue with a section can be much more productive when you are in their proximity and can see and hear exactly what everyone else is doing. Back row hooligans are also less likely to cut up when they know that in 30 seconds you will be eyeball-to-eyeball with them. Trying to impose discipline and trying to teach music - the two biggest mistakes I made once I stepped out into the real world!