Official tMP L & SC Regional 2008 thread

[andywooler]

Also interesting to note that in the 2nd section review, they make the same comment i did on tMp about the playing position vs placing - now you know where they get some of their news from - tMp!!

 

[PeterBale]

Also interesting to note that in the 2nd section review, they make the same comment i did on tMp about the playing position vs placing - now you know where they get some of their news from - tMp!!

Well, they do say "Great minds think alike"

(I didn't notice when you posted your comments, but my retrospective was emailed to Iwan about 2pm Monday )

 

[cornetcheese]

Thanks, I've found it now.

"Languid interpretation" .... not sure whether Alan will see that as a compliment
or not !!

Andy

Languid eh? That's a first!! I'm almost offended!!

Coupled with the "surreal" description from another performance I conducted and I wonder if they might be trying to tell me something??.....

 

[brassneck]

Languid eh? That's a first!! I'm almost offended!!

Coupled with the "surreal" description from another performance I conducted and I wonder if they might be trying to tell me something??.....

...

lan·guid (l

ng

gw

d)
adj. 1. Lacking energy or vitality; weak: a languid wave of the hand.
2. Showing little or no spirit or animation; listless: a languid mood.
3. Lacking vigor or force; slow: languid breezes.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/languid

 

[brassneck]

- doesn't this make the retro. contradictory?

Woodbridge Excelsior
atmospheric account from the number 2 draw owed much to a languid interpretation from the MD.

http://www.4barsrest.com/articles/2008/art827a.asp

 

[The Wherryman]

...

lan·guid (l

ng

gw

d)
adj. 1. Lacking energy or vitality; weak: a languid wave of the hand.
2. Showing little or no spirit or animation; listless: a languid mood.
3. Lacking vigor or force; slow: languid breezes.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/languid

languid - slack; flagging; inert; listless; faint; relaxed; spiritless (Chambers 20th Century dictionary)

It just goes to show, it's all a matter of interpretation

 

[MoominDave]

But I've said all I intend to say here about the most unlikely result I've ever been handed in 20 years of contesting.

And breaking my promise, I'd just like to note that 4BR have taken the rare step of actually implying that the adjudicator got it obviously wrong for us:

For us it was a pretty solid show, with rounded sounds from the middle of band in particular, a fine effort from the band’s solo euphonium player and dynamics that were always controlled. Tenth position will have been a disappointment for the band and rightly so.

Given the diplomatic phrasing of the article, I'd suggest that that is quite a vigorous condemnation of our placing - particularly in light of the critical reviews afforded to every other band up to and including 3rd place.

And now I will leave our result alone here.

 

[andyh]

languid - slack; flagging; inert; listless; faint; relaxed; spiritless (Chambers 20th Century dictionary)

It just goes to show, it's all a matter of interpretation

And preparation; I must say here that last Sat we were probably the most relaxed going into a contest that we've ever been, and that is in no small part due to Alan's hard work and direction. We knew that we could play the piece - yes, we made a few significant slips (otherwise it wouldn't have been an 8th place!) but they were I feel down to the band worrying that we would be relegated if we did as badly as last year. Overall, I think we did manage to deliver an atmospheric performance, and if that was due to languid interpretation, well so much the better ;-)

So, I guess I see 4barsrest comments as a compliment !

Andy

 

[2nd trom virtuoso]

I don't think anyone should take results too seriously out of the top 3, that would avoid all this upset. Of course its a bit hard to take but its the way this game goes and the most important thing to do after a contest is build up your band and hope for better luck next time.

A full band full of enthusiastic players every week is way better than even getting last place at any contest, which you can then take on the chin.

 

[GBH]

I don't think anyone should take results too seriously out of the top 3, that would avoid all this upset. Of course its a bit hard to take but its the way this game goes and the most important thing to do after a contest is build up your band and hope for better luck next time.

A full band full of enthusiastic players every week is way better than even getting last place at any contest, which you can then take on the chin.

Unfortunately your chance of getting a full band (and indeed the success of the band as a whole) is directly affected by your performance in this one contest. If you want to attract and play with better players, they will naturally be attracted to the higher placed bands. For bands being relegated it's incredibly hard to build up the band. The players who want to play in the section you've just been demoted from leave (often the better ones) and it's very hard to attract new players to a band newly demoted as people rightly or wrongly don't want to play with a "losing" band.

While I agree with your sentiment, there is nothing like an unjust result (and demotion) to suddenly kick the enthusiasm out of a band.

G

 

[andyh]

I don't think anyone should take results too seriously out of the top 3, that would avoid all this upset. Of course its a bit hard to take but its the way this game goes and the most important thing to do after a contest is build up your band and hope for better luck next time.

A full band full of enthusiastic players every week is way better than even getting last place at any contest, which you can then take on the chin.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not upset with 8th place; in fact I'm pleased with it. But on the
other hand I take all our Area results seriously because like it or not, once you embark on
contesting they do have an impact on the bands self-image and good results do energise
people as well as attracting new players. What counts on the stage is being able to produce
that performance that you thought sounded so good in the bandroom last week, and if
you can do that, then the result truly doesn't matter.

Andy

 

[cornetcheese]

languid - slack; flagging; inert; listless; faint; relaxed; spiritless (Chambers 20th Century dictionary)

It just goes to show, it's all a matter of interpretation

Thanks for that - I'll just assume it was meant in a positive way!

Perhaps I should make a more concious effort to be more exciting and driven next year?

 

[Ryan_Littleport]

I don't think anyone should take results too seriously out of the top 3, that would avoid all this upset. Of course its a bit hard to take but its the way this game goes and the most important thing to do after a contest is build up your band and hope for better luck next time.

Hi Matt,

Littleport has also received what we thought were dubious results many times just like any other band. Unless you really can lift the band's standard to stand out from the pack then you just have to accept it's the way it is.

One other thing to remember is that what you hear on stage is very different from what is heard from the audience and box. I wouldn't want to criticize any single band especially one which contained so many people I know well, but speaking to a couple of experienced players in your band before your section even started (no names) they were far from confident of getting a good result.

Soham's time will come round again, especially if the younger members of the band such as yourself stick with it.

 

[Rob_da_boneist]

Unfortunately your chance of getting a full band (and indeed the success of the band as a whole) is directly affected by your performance in this one contest. If you want to attract and play with better players, they will naturally be attracted to the higher placed bands. For bands being relegated it's incredibly hard to build up the band. The players who want to play in the section you've just been demoted from leave (often the better ones) and it's very hard to attract new players to a band newly demoted as people rightly or wrongly don't want to play with a "losing" band.

Forgive my ignorance and possible naiete(sp?) you make it sound like all the "better" players care about is one contest result and not the band they are playing for or the music they are playing. Now I play with Harwich (A lowly 4th Section band) who in our own eyes were robbed of a place in the top 10, to come 13th was a proper kick in the guts, but, come monday night the band (full band of 30 players) turned up, had a grumble, listened to the recording from the sunday, grumbled some more and then got back to the business at hand, playing music. Not one of our players will turn around and say "i'm going to play for another band cause of the contest result" and that same band i can pretty much guarentee will turn up at stevenage next year and seek to better our previous two results...That IMHO is dedication and that is what banding is all about.

 

[MedwayMan]

Dns

Did anyone find out what befell Betteshanger?

 

[GBH]

Forgive my ignorance and possible naiete(sp?) you make it sound like all the "better" players care about is one contest result and not the band they are playing for or the music they are playing. Now I play with Harwich (A lowly 4th Section band) who in our own eyes were robbed of a place in the top 10, to come 13th was a proper kick in the guts, but, come monday night the band (full band of 30 players) turned up, had a grumble, listened to the recording from the sunday, grumbled some more and then got back to the business at hand, playing music. Not one of our players will turn around and say "i'm going to play for another band cause of the contest result" and that same band i can pretty much guarentee will turn up at stevenage next year and seek to better our previous two results...That IMHO is dedication and that is what banding is all about.

Thats what banding is all about for you

I'm not suggesting everyone is the same and I was using a broad brush where there are always going to be exceptions. There is, inevitably, a difference in approach generally of players from the top two sections to the bottom two both in approach and standard. Having played in the fourth, second and Championship sections I find there is vast difference between them. Primarily, of course, the biggest difference is playing standard but the attitude is different too.

I'm not in any way suggesting that fourth section bands are not necessarily serious but an argument can be made that on the whole, the time dedication and discipline to get to a good enough standard for a championship section band and the time impact tends to imply that you are more serious about it. As a result the position of the band, whether it's promoted and whether you are playing with like minded people of a similar standard matters. The isn't to say there aren't championship section standard players in the 4th section, I'm sure there are, but even they, for whatever reason, have chosen(or been forced to) to take it easy and play in a lower pressured band.

You can nitpick every detail of my posts making out that it's not true for everyone etc. and I'm sure you're right. Ultimately though, at the higher levels, and for those with the ambition, time and drive to play in the higher sections, dropping down to the lower sections can be a huge turn off. Often you simply can't play the same level of music as in set piece competitions you are forced to play pieces chosen for the section you're in, not the section you came from.

G

 

[brassbandmaestro]

Ive played in different sections, and Ive noticed that the higher up you go, the difference in attitude changes. It seems to me that they seem to be more focused on the result after, more so than in say, the 4th section, who, I know a lot do want to win but there are those who just take part for the experience and a win be a bonus. But the 4th section bands do seem to have something different about them, I dont know what it is, maybe what i said already, or am I missing something?

 

[Ryan_Littleport]

Ive played in different sections, and Ive noticed that the higher up you go, the difference in attitude changes. It seems to me that they seem to be more focused on the result after, more so than in say, the 4th section, who, I know a lot do want to win but there are those who just take part for the experience and a win be a bonus. But the 4th section bands do seem to have something different about them, I dont know what it is, maybe what i said already, or am I missing something?

A lot of truth here. Chicken or the egg?... Some might say that the lack of competativeness of some of the lower section players is precisely why they are not in the leading bands in the first place.

 

[GJG]

Unfortunately your chance of getting a full band (and indeed the success of the band as a whole) is directly affected by your performance in this one contest. If you want to attract and play with better players, they will naturally be attracted to the higher placed bands. For bands being relegated it's incredibly hard to build up the band. The players who want to play in the section you've just been demoted from leave (often the better ones) and it's very hard to attract new players to a band newly demoted as people rightly or wrongly don't want to play with a "losing" band.

While I agree with your sentiment, there is nothing like an unjust result (and demotion) to suddenly kick the enthusiasm out of a band.

G

Whilst I am sure that the scenario you describe has some basis in reality, I am far from convinced that it is the norm.

We were unfortunate enough to experience a demotion based on what one might describe as "unfortunate", perhaps even "questionable" results. However, so far as I am aware, not one player subsequently left the band as a direct result of the demotion. Of course we experienced the normal turnover of players expected at our level due to employment relocation etc., etc., but I do not recall anyone coming to me and saying "I'm sorry, I don't want to play with this band any more, because we've gone down a section". On the contrary, the overwhelming majority of the membership took the view that it was a "good thing" and would provide us with a valuable opportunity to regroup and develop as a group of musicians without the pressure of having to compete at a level at which we sometimes had struggled.

We had a good two years in the 2nd section; we had a few good results, we continued our normal routine of carefully and thoroughly preparing for our many and varied concert engagements, and now we are back in the first section, with essentially the same band as we had a few years ago. At Stevenage we achieved a 5th place, which is not bad for a newly promoted band.

Yes, one might say that we were "lucky", whatever that means. I, on the other hand, would say that it was the result of careful management, and a determination to make the best of whatever circumstances we found ourselves in.

 

[The Wherryman]

Last edited by GJG : Today at 21:28. Reason: spilling

You gotta love this guy!