Posted by Sheldon(220) on September 7, 2009 at 8:41pm
I've been listening to high schools for a good hour and i was just wondering, how can a high school get a 'college' sound. i hope that makes sense to some of you. I want to hear opinions.
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It takes time and effort for an individual musician to produce a mature tone and hone their skill on their respective instrument. On top of that, the ensemble is gonna have to focus to work and operate as a cohesive unit...which will require even more time and effort.
So in essence, to get a college sound out of a highschool band, those band members are gonna need ample experience, time and a lot of effort, along with enough maturity to make it work. Don't expect that to come over night. It really all comes down to discipline and dedication.
i mean i understand everything and get what you're saying but, not putting any high schools down, most high schools have had the same sounds for quite awhile.
PVSax99 said:
It takes time and effort for an individual musician to produce a mature tone and hone their skill on their respective instrument. On top of that, the ensemble is gonna have to focus to work and operate as a cohesive unit...which will require even more time and effort.
So in essence, to get a college sound out of a highschool band, those band members are gonna need ample experience, time and a lot of effort, along with enough maturity to make it work. Don't expect that to come over night. It really all comes down to discipline and dedication.
High School Sounds
I've been listening to high schools for a good hour and i was just wondering, how can a high school get a 'college' sound. i hope that makes sense to…
The biggest difference between high school and college "sound" that I see is the fullness. You have to put air in the horn to make it play. Most of these high schools that imitate colleges go for loud and do it the wrong way. The result is a very thin sound that sounds like a cat meow. You have to breathe big (down to the navel) and fill the horn up, even at pianissimo.
Projection is key, too. If you sound doesn't get past your sideline, you're not doing much. After you master filling up the horn, you have to push the sound through the instrument, like you want it to "touch" the other side. The same could be said for percussion. Use the right stroke, and send it "through" the head to the other side...instead of just beating loud.
Then you have to listen and play in tune. When notes aren't in tune, their sound waves clash and cancel out their power. A lot of the college bands that didn't check on that before are now doing so, and the end result is a much better sound.
It is age. If you watch highschool footbal ages14-19 in some cases then watch college 18-25 in some cases. High scholl kids bodies are not as developed as much as college. Plus college kids practice longer and harder because of there physical ability. You know when you see kids that were beast on there instruments in Highschool then they go to college for about 2 years and they sit in with the High school and they are ova the whole band there body has matured. And they are alot stronger. Same with football you bench alot more weight in college then you did in highschool. but there are always exceptional players
How About this, I've seen bands in the pass who THOUGHT they had a Collegiate sounds yet played with a lack of control
For us at JFK in N.O. it wasn't about trying to Sound like a College, it was about staying on top, which means we had to have a better sound than everybody, so while everybody wanted to be "Louder" us them., Our Goal was to Sound Better than them. LOL.. Therefore when we play, We'd be the Best Sounding band, nomater the size. Nomater the Conditions ..lol
We were a Powerful Band Marching.. Others were Loud Standing Still.. LOL
hate to beep tha "New Orleans" horn, but I think all good bands from New Orleans somewhat of a "college" sound (most Pre Katrina and a few Post-K) and a lot of it had to do with us playing for a longa time b4 college than most other areas (as a whole), also tha level of intensity we played at...I think at tha end of tha day, it's all in tha mindset (my opinion)....real good Atlanta bands (SWD, Redan, MLK, a few others) have sort of a college sound too...most of tha other regions have a real nice "high school" sound and mistake it for a college sound. A common mistake they make is that they try to play WAY bigger than what they really are and they play arragements that's not meant for their size *cough*40-60 member H.S. band playing SU arrangements *cough
Book, u were right about wat u said about Kennedy, that's why besides us yall was always my favorite band...and yall still was bringin dat knock
Book said:
How About this, I've seen bands in the pass who THOUGHT they had a Collegiate sounds yet played with a lack of control
For us at JFK in N.O. it wasn't about trying to Sound like a College, it was about staying on top, which means we had to have a better sound than everybody, so while everybody wanted to be "Louder" us them., Our Goal was to Sound Better than them. LOL.. Therefore when we play, We'd be the Best Sounding band, nomater the size. Nomater the Conditions ..lol
We were a Powerful Band Marching.. Others were Loud Standing Still.. LOL
High School Sounds
I've been listening to high schools for a good hour and i was just wondering, how can a high school get a 'college' sound. i hope that makes sense to…
Replies
So in essence, to get a college sound out of a highschool band, those band members are gonna need ample experience, time and a lot of effort, along with enough maturity to make it work. Don't expect that to come over night. It really all comes down to discipline and dedication.
PVSax99 said:
Projection is key, too. If you sound doesn't get past your sideline, you're not doing much. After you master filling up the horn, you have to push the sound through the instrument, like you want it to "touch" the other side. The same could be said for percussion. Use the right stroke, and send it "through" the head to the other side...instead of just beating loud.
Then you have to listen and play in tune. When notes aren't in tune, their sound waves clash and cancel out their power. A lot of the college bands that didn't check on that before are now doing so, and the end result is a much better sound.
For us at JFK in N.O. it wasn't about trying to Sound like a College, it was about staying on top, which means we had to have a better sound than everybody, so while everybody wanted to be "Louder" us them., Our Goal was to Sound Better than them. LOL.. Therefore when we play, We'd be the Best Sounding band, nomater the size. Nomater the Conditions ..lol
We were a Powerful Band Marching.. Others were Loud Standing Still.. LOL
hate to beep tha "New Orleans" horn, but I think all good bands from New Orleans somewhat of a "college" sound (most Pre Katrina and a few Post-K) and a lot of it had to do with us playing for a longa time b4 college than most other areas (as a whole), also tha level of intensity we played at...I think at tha end of tha day, it's all in tha mindset (my opinion)....real good Atlanta bands (SWD, Redan, MLK, a few others) have sort of a college sound too...most of tha other regions have a real nice "high school" sound and mistake it for a college sound. A common mistake they make is that they try to play WAY bigger than what they really are and they play arragements that's not meant for their size *cough*40-60 member H.S. band playing SU arrangements *cough
Book, u were right about wat u said about Kennedy, that's why besides us yall was always my favorite band...and yall still was bringin dat knock
Book said:
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