Joining Jazz Band

Hi!

I haven't written in a long time.

I know that. Sorry about that. I kept thinking. I didn't know what on earth to write. I thought I had run out of topics. I also went through some tough band stuff and it got to the point where I didn't want to post any details at all. However, things are improving more and more everyday as my confidence in my playing increases, as well as my skill in sight reading. 

  Anyway, I recently started jazz band, where since then I have been purely stoked when receiving a couple of lead alto parts. That's pretty exciting, I will admit. But that's nothing compared to how much I truly love jazz band. When I joined, I met many new people as well as joined friends in it.  Everyone is immensely nice and inviting. There are tons of instruments in the band. Tenor saxes, alto saxes, baritone saxes, trumpets, trombones, jazz clarinets, piano, marimba, string bass, bass guitar, and of course the triangle. Ugh. I forgot a few. :) 

    There are so many things I'm learning in jazz band that I never even thought about before. Like different styles such as Half Time Funk Feel or Bossa Nova. (I hope I spelled that right) There's also the sheet music that to my surprise is played a lot looser than classical pieces. Don't get me wrong, you MUST practice. I'm talking about adding accents, etc. For example, you can add slurs and staccatos if you'd like to experiment a little.

   Improv solos scare me but I love them so much. It's an interesting relationship. (Ha ha) When I'll try playing one in class, I'll get a little nervous. That's normal though. It's mainly the fear of messing up. If I decide to volunteer, I have a lot of fun. It's like when there's something on my mind, maybe grades, or a test that may scare me a little, I can stand up and it just all comes out through my music. It sounds a little weird, I know! Like, how can a test influence so much soul??? I'm not sure how it works. I'll get back to you on that. :)

    My fellow jazz-band peeps are immensely talented. It's unbelievable how funny they are as well as how well they can play. I knew the second that I walked in on my first day that the bar was being raised. I'm practicing more than ever, and taking as many tips as I can get. Maybe I should write a guide. Not a bad idea actually. Ha ha. I'll keep you updated on that as well. 

  I could write you a VERY long book about jazz band. Don't even get me started on Marching Band Camp. That's another story. :)

Until next time, 
                                      Katie