My happy story...

[VictorLeMonteWooten]

i just became 2nd chair bass in my school orchestra today. The 1st chair died, just kidding, i challanged for the spot and won. It shows how awful the bass section is, i've been playing upright for about 1-2 months, i've been playing in orchestra for about a month, but i started playing a little bit before that. In that amount of time i learned to read bass clef. I've played bass for years (8) may not seem to be long, but keep in mind, i'm still in school, but i never took the time to read the clef.

[Christopher]

How many people are in your section? When I was in High School, I was the lone double bassist out of a class of 150. That had its advantages and disadvantages (the main advantage being that I was never challenged!)

[David Kaczorowski]

Congratulations! Don't spend too much time worrying that your competition sucked. You beat 'em and that's what counts.

[VictorLeMonteWooten]

i am going to middle school right at the momment with only three other bassists in my class of 375-400. My school has 750-800 people. The high school in which i am going next year has 1700 people. If you think about it, Juiliard college in NY has a smaller enrollment than my middle school. Our schools have the best music programs in the country. My school participates in high school competions. Last year, my orchestra got a perfect score on a contest. We did better than any of the high schools. The high school went to boston a few years ago and won every award in a competion except one (sportsmanship award, which was given to an other orchestra because they judges didn't want all of the awards to go to one orchestra). There was 10 awards total. My teacher/conductor is my favorite teacher and is probably one of the best if not the best music teachers in america. He plays in a lot of symphonies and balets, etc. The judges said that my orchestra played at a proffesional level lst year in an orchestra trip. I'm so proud of my music program.

[olivier]

WINNER-on-the-HILL: A little emulation is OK, but all that competition makes me skeptical. There is no scale to measure the beauty of music, and you're in the wrong mood if you're playing to beat the other ! (Fella said "Music is the weapon of the future" but it was in african guerrilla/coldwar context) Anyway, if you're able to become 2nd chair after 1-2 month on the DB, then maybe the level is not that great, see what i mean ? Furthermore, if you want to make sure you make progress, then consider every morning that today you've got to learn something so that you become better than what you were yesterday. Better to challenge yourself, and help the others to become as good as you are instead of beating them. Good luck Victor.

[basslax]

speaking of school bands- my schools jazzband won this band competition in florida..theyre the best highshcool band in the country or something...with NO competetion for the bass, once he (current bassist)graduates ill step right in

[mullet_head_81]

I couldn't make bass...i play the triangle, sometimes even the cowbell.