Community Band - Rules? Guidlines? CurtesiesEtiquette Guide?

[HGillespie]

Group,
I'm not sure if I read it here, or on the C-M Yahoo Group. However, somewhere in the big wide web someone posted a list or guide for adult musicians in a Community music group.

I'm thinking about guidelines such as:

Do your best to arrive on time.
Music is to be present at all rehearsals.
Do not wear perfume or cologne.
If activities before band require extreme physical activity please exercise proper hygine or "clean up" before attending rehearsal.
Do not drink alcohol or partake in illegal drugs before or during rehearsal.

I think everyone catches my drift with these suggestions. If you are aware of such a post, please post the link. I will appreciate ya! My apology ahead of time to those on the C-M list. I’ll ask this question on that list as well.

Helen

[Ace]

What? No alcohol at community band rehearsals and concerts? Lots of luck enforcing that one. Being a non-drinker myself, I think players should arrive at the band room in a reasonably sober condition, but that has not been my experience in many community groups I've played in over the years. Some of those rehearsal sites smell like a tavern, particularly in the low brass section in the rear.

Ace

[HGillespie]

Ace,

I already see one advantage of posting my inquiry here. That is, getting a reading on group norms. Thank you for your candidness.

Helen

[bort]

Don't count rests out loud, and don't tap your foot loudly.

[The Big Ben]

The director needs to respect the musician's time. If the director is planning on rehearsing one part of the band for the majority of the practice session, please tell the rest of the band they can go home. When I played in a community orchestra as a trumpet player, on numerous occasions, I sat in the brass section for an hour and 45 minutes of a two hour session while the director worked with the strings. While not universally the case, many people have cut a piece of time out of their regular schedule to be at band practice. Whatever they rescheduled to be at band practice still needs to be done.

Not sure if that should be a written rule or one of those things a director should do but it is a peeve of mine.

[bearphonium]

None of the groups I play in have set rules or guidelines. There is a common understanding that alcohol is for after rehearsal, and a peer pressure that sets the decorum at a fairly high level. These are all non-audition groups of varying skill levels and abilities. The big one is that communicate to someone if you're going to miss rehearsal.

[bort]

I also hate when people get all jumpy when rehearsal runs a little long. If it is supposed to end at 9, and we are still playing at 9:01, just chill out. If you are so anxious to leave after only 2 hours per week, why are you there?

[Michael Bush]

Don't count rests out loud

+1. We've got a euphonium player who counts right out loud, not even a stage whisper. He's trying to help a struggling section mate, but it just annoys everyone within a ten foot radius.

Another guideline: If you can't play a phrase, let others handle it. Don't be a distraction.

[caa62]

We've got a euphonium player who sings his part and/or runs it on his valves when other sections are rehearsing. Extremely annoying! Just be quiet when it's not your turn to play. Practice at home.

[Dan Schultz]

We've got a euphonium player who sings his part and/or runs it on his valves when other sections are rehearsing. Extremely annoying! Just be quiet when it's not your turn to play. Practice at home.

Our conductor strongly encourages folks to run their fingerings while individual sections are playing. We don't have any 'singers' though. THAT would be annoying!

BTW... as the OP mentioned... Yahoo has a forum dedicated to community music. Search the Yahoo Forums for 'C-M'. It's a very good exchange of ideas as long as you go in with the understanding that the groups represented run the gamut from not-so-good small ensembles to very good symphonic bands.

I've presided over a large community band for almost fifteen years and have found that for our type of 'everyone plays' group, no hard rules are the best. Peer pressure (and a good board of directors) usually takes care of problems before they get under the conductors skin too badly!

You have to be very careful with rules. Once the rules are in place... they have to be enforced equally or there is a whole new set of problems.

[caa62]

I'll bet your valves don't klank louder than the percussion section, however.

[Teubonium]

Stop texting during rehearsal and pay attention to the director!!!

[Ace]

The director needs to respect the musician's time. If the director is planning on rehearsing one part of the band for the majority of the practice session, please tell the rest of the band they can go home. When I played in a community orchestra as a trumpet player, on numerous occasions, I sat in the brass section for an hour and 45 minutes of a two hour session while the director worked with the strings. While not universally the case, many people have cut a piece of time out of their regular schedule to be at band practice. Whatever they rescheduled to be at band practice still needs to be done.

Not sure if that should be a written rule or one of those things a director should do but it is a peeve of mine.

I've experienced the same thing many times. +1 for your post.

Ace

[Schedonnardus]

The director needs to respect the musician's time. If the director is planning on rehearsing one part of the band for the majority of the practice session, please tell the rest of the band they can go home. When I played in a community orchestra as a trumpet player, on numerous occasions, I sat in the brass section for an hour and 45 minutes of a two hour session while the director worked with the strings. While not universally the case, many people have cut a piece of time out of their regular schedule to be at band practice. Whatever they rescheduled to be at band practice still needs to be done.

Not sure if that should be a written rule or one of those things a director should do but it is a peeve of mine.

I recently joined a church orchestra. For Good Friday this year, we played the "7 last words of Christ." Many of the movements are "Tacet" for low brass. After the 1st rehearsal where i literally played for 10 minutes of a 60 minute rehearsal, I politely asked the conductor to let us know next time if we should come or not. He felt bad for having us sit there and agreed.

[Jess Haney]

My gripe for my 2 cents is "practice your part if you cant play it," especially if you are in a higher caliber ensemble that plays very difficult music. If you are in the show up and blow group...well then thats the the status quo. But if you are just coasting by in a high caliber ensemble because you will put it together someday...then ughhhhh.

[jeopardymaster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f_p0CgP ... et="_blank

Rule 6 - there is NO ... Rule 6.

[Rick Denney]

The director needs to respect the musician's time. If the director is planning on rehearsing one part of the band for the majority of the practice session, please tell the rest of the band they can go home. When I played in a community orchestra as a trumpet player, on numerous occasions, I sat in the brass section for an hour and 45 minutes of a two hour session while the director worked with the strings. While not universally the case, many people have cut a piece of time out of their regular schedule to be at band practice. Whatever they rescheduled to be at band practice still needs to be done.

Not sure if that should be a written rule or one of those things a director should do but it is a peeve of mine.

Actually, the members of my band get upset when they are sent home early. Many drive through terrible traffic to get to the rehearsal, and they are there to play music, not get sent home early.

That doesn't make what you say inapplicable, of course. It means the conductor cannot work on just part of the band for an extended period. If a section struggles with something, he should suggest practice at home when it is clear the rehearsal has become a practice session rather than a rehearsal.

We also do not perform music that provides nothing for a big part of the band to do for an extended period. In that way, we are not like an orchestra at all.

One portion of any rules that needs to be clear is the procedure for when a performer must miss a rehearsal. In our band, if a person will miss more than two rehearsals leading up to a concert, that person should be prepared to sit out of that concert, including the other rehearsals leading up to it. But we give our music director discretion to make the call in any specific case. He will frequently allow a person to play even if they miss more rehearsals, because they are good enough to cover the part and because they are specifically needed. We don't tolerate those who skip rehearsals just because they were tired that night, or who expect to walk into the concert and perform without attending rehearsals. But we also realize that it is a community band and its members have jobs that sometimes require them to be away. The only absolute requirement is that a person who is going to miss a rehearsal must discuss it with the director timely.

I would like a rule that states that instrument cases be left outside the seating area during rehearsal. I doubt I could ever bring it about. But I'm sick of tripping over trumpet cases owned by guys who 1.) must carry four trumpets requiring a case the size of my tuba case, and 2.) must put them behind their seat, right under my feet.

Rick "who has frequently had to demand a path be made to have access back to his chair" Denney

[Heavy_Metal]

Helen or Dan or both- is this the C-M list you mentioned? Took a while to find it as Yahoo's search function doesn't work so well..............

http://sd2cx1.webring.org/l/rd?ring=com ... g%2Fc-m%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank

[Dan Schultz]

Helen or Dan or both- is this the C-M list you mentioned? Took a while to find it as Yahoo's search function doesn't work so well..............

http://sd2cx1.webring.org/l/rd?ring=com ... g%2Fc-m%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

Ron Boerger originally ran the C-M group and is still somewhat involved. Go here for the discussion group:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/c-m/messages

I think you can read without registering. To post... you'll need to ask for membership to join the group.

[Dan Schultz]

.... People suddenly began charging through the room with reckless abandon...percussion equipment, chairs, stands, etc......a stand was knocked over by one of these (possibly a bit resentful...??) their-turn-to-set-up-tear-down-equipment folks, and it missed my instrument by ångströms.....bloke "seemingly, another difference between community bands and other types of musical ensembles"

Joe... I run into this type of stuff in all six or seven groups I play with. The tuba row (usually almost in back in front of the percussion) seems to always be a target for stupidity by others. Either the percussion folks 'ring' the next to back row so entry by the tubas is almost impossible. or.... the morons in the altohorn/tenorhorn/baritone/euphonium row (in brass band) think they have to charge through the 'tuba forest' in order to clamber to their seats.

I understand the need for compact seating for performances but tubas sitting elbow to elbow in a large rehearsal hall is just plain stupid!