| FUND-RAISERS: Opportunities provided throughout the year for the adult staff to yell at band members while making a few extra bucks on the side. Results of these are used to double standard teacher's salary. GEEKDOM: The state of a band member who is willing to give up all free time during season. GONG: A loud, large cymbal-like device. It is the goal of all good percussionists to break or crack this instrument in any way possible. HALT: A time when everyone is theoretically stopped. HARMONY: All voices except the melody and percussion. HELL: Inferno, Saturday rehearsals, and camp food. INSTRUCTOR: Person who tells you when you're screwing up. INSTRUMENT: A device used for torture. INTERVAL: A space between two band members that is as random as "Gavorkna"'s tempo. MARK-TIME: A time when people only move their feet (without changing location) to some tempo, usually "to the beat of a different drum." MELLOPHONE: A tunable version of a marching French horn (is there such a thing?) used by drum corps and many schools. Based on a trumpet design. MELODY: The loudest voice, usually carried by the trumpets or piccolos. MEMORIZATION: An action that is supposed to take place in conjunction with sets and music between band camp and the commencement of the regular year, but does not generally happen, except for the captain, until 'shups are issued or the year is completed. MEZZO-FORTE: The highest dynamic marking of any woodwind excluding the piccolo. MOUTHPIECE: A critical piece to a brass instrument which is meant to be dropped or thrown onto grass, loud stages, and/or sometimes mud if not forgotten. Droppage of this device often results in 'shups. MUSIC: 1. Papers which contain little black lines and dots with strange symbols that somehow show what the music is to sound like. 2. The succession of these notes that, in theory, should sound good. Unfortunately, we're not all in Theory - we're in Marching Band. NOTES: 1. Little round dots on lines that show the approximate pitch that the instrument player tries to hit. 2. The language of music, similar to "BASIC," "Pascal," or "C" for computers. OBOE: A double-reed instrument used for obtaining a clarinet sound in a piccolo range. ON TIME: To never be. See reasoning for early. PEDAL: A low vibration tone produced by brass instruments when jaw is loosened. Noise is sometimes mistaken for the conventional brain fart. PICCOLO: A high-pitched instrument similar to that of the flute, only you can actually hear that it's out of tune. PICCOLO TRUMPET: An instrument designed to do the same job as a trumpet with some minor enhancements - since it's an octave higher. PIGEONS: A truly unique bird that has only one known natural enemy: The windshield of a bus at 65 MPH. POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE: A painful form of obligation by every band geek during three of their four years in high school. An extremely useful and effective form of torture for underclassmen. PRACTICE: The constant repetition of a sequence of notes in an unsuccessful attempt to become skilled. Usually drives family members either away from home or insane. REED: 1. A piece of wood that makes a great excuse for not playing well (particularly for brass instruments) if broken or brand new. Usage's: "Sorry, new reed," or "I broke my reed." 2. A device used to efficiently cut one's finger. REHEARSAL: Time used by band geeks to forget anything learned during practice. SENIOR: A source of constant guilt trips. 'SHUPS: Sometimes called "pushups," these you do when something goes wrong due to you. Usually done in increments or multiples of ten or fifteen. Designed as a method of self-discipline. SLOUCHING: An action best displayed by the Pep Band and concert bands. Even if it's bad for playing, it's great for the back! TROMBONE: A device with the same pitch as a baritone, except that it uses a slide instead of valves, so it's easier to forget the position(s). TRUMPET: An instrument that is designed to make a band sound better. The idea is that if the trumpets play loud enough, you can't hear the rest of the band, so only the trumpets' mistakes are heard, not everyone else's. TELEPHONE: A communication device that must be answered by Mike Bethune. TEMPO: The correct beat, usually (but not always) carried by the conductor. TENOR-SAXOPHONE: An instrument similar to the bari-saxophone, except it matches the pitch of a trombone or baritone. TROMBONE: A device with the same pitch as a baritone, except that it uses a slide instead of valves, so it's easier to forget the position(s). TRUMPET: An instrument that is designed to make a band sound better. The idea is that if the trumpets play loud enough, you can't hear the rest of the band, so only the trumpets' mistakes are heard, not everyone else's. |