euphfanhan said:
with all the bands i've played in, its not so much the age of the player, but how long they've been with the band. Any newbie is generally ignored, not so much by the conductor but by the rest of the band. It's almost as though they have to gain the players respect before having an opinion.
I would suggest that this is a major factor in many bands (and other things in life). Until a band knows that you are in a position to offer something useful, you can often find that people will ignore you or assume that you know nothing.
This can be especially true if you are offering opinions that might not go down well with those present.
If your first words in a rehearsal (for example) are "you played that wrong," then prepare yourself for a backlash, even if you are correct.
As for those youngsters who are upset about being treated as though they know nothing - you should remember that for every young player like you (who do know what they are doing) there are a number of others who might not have your musicality, ability and competence. When I am working with youth bands I like to treat them as I would the adult groups I work with. If something needs work, I will tell them to work at it. If they don't, I will then start getting nastier with them.
If one of them makes a suggestion that I think is a good one, I will usually thank them. If they start making comments about every single aspect of the rehearsal I will often ask them to be quiet. There are those players who feel it is their job to comment about everything a conductor does, or about every other section of the band. This sort of player annoys me - it is the job of the conductor to point out potential problems, not necessarily the band member's.
From the way you talk, I wouldn't class you in that latter group, just for the record, but I would think carefully before opening your mouth too often in rehearsals. It might appear to some of the band as if you are trying to point out their mistakes to make yourself look better.
