[littlemanbighorn]

This is related to Carbs' recent poll about how much you enjoyed School band.

I think how much we learn from a band teacher is often related to what the instrument they knew best was. My band teacher was a smalltown symphony French Horn player and a passable Trumpet player.
As a result my saxophone instruction was limited. (Also, the only sax teacher in town was the Symphony's principal clarinettist, not a saxophone teacher and not at all interested in teaching me any of the music I was interested (mostly Ellington at the time.)....but that's for a different thread someday......

 

[Carl H.]

I had to vote for multiples, due to multiple directors in various college ensembles.

I only voted for the concert band directors.

 

[Dr G]

Music is what matters. I have been in bands directed/led by a host of various musicians. Of the first that come to mind, their principle instruments were string bass, bassoon, trumpet, piano, and saxophone.

 

[littlemanbighorn]

I had to vote for multiples, due to multiple directors in various college ensembles.

I only voted for the concert band directors.

That's why I allowed for multiples.

 

[littlemanbighorn]

Music is what matters.

Agreed, but as in the "This band teacher's killing his students" thread, my band teacher told us all that hard reads were better, hardest reeds the best. This far earlier in my development than I should have been playing on Vandoren 3 1/2's.
She also never relayed the importance of regular maintenance on horns. When I went to study with my College's sax teacher before my audition, he was amazed by the fact that I could play down to the bottom of my horn even with it's massive leaks.

A certain amount of direction is needed for Grade School and High School kids, that they might not be able to get elsewhere.

 

[Dr G]

Why should one assume that even if the teacher's major instrument is the saxophone, that they were good on it? They did not go for a performance degree, they went for a teaching degree.

That is NOT to say that ALL those that teach cannot play but there will certainly be some that are not as good as a non-degreed amateur whose enduring passion is the saxophone.

 

[belliott]

I was very fortunate. Not only did my band teacher play saxophone very, very well ( He had played with the Kenton band for a couple of years), he was the best teacher of the instrument, music and life lessons revolving around things not music that I was ever associated with. He and I still keep in contact over 40 years after high school. Still discuss music, but mostly kids, grandkids etc. He is still teaching and still playing. He could have been another of the caliber of Desmond, Cannonball, Getz et al, but his choice and passion was for teaching and helping others. Thankfully, he is still at it.

 

[Agent27]

My last HS director was a classical sax player.

The Director of Jazz Studies and director of the top jazz ensemble in college was/is a Trombone player. Actually, his undergrad degree is in Euphonium Performance and he's one hell of a jazz euph player but he obviously gets his gigs playing trombone. He actually went through some lip issues early in his career where he really couldn't play and was afraid he never would be able to again. At that point he started to take up the saxophone so he does have experience with the instrument. Luckily, he got physical issues out of the way and went back to playing trombone.

That's me and him in my avatar.

 

[Livia]

My bigband teachter in school plays Sax (Bari and others) and piano. Piano because he has to as a music teachter in Germany.

The teacher of our sax ensemble at music school plays the sax, clarinet, flute and piano :|.

 

[Hammertime]

He can play a little bass too (especially walking, by ear, he can't play the so what bass line, but man, does HE know how to walk ) and drums. And he's brilliant at piano!!! Everyone is just completely silent when he does a solo :shock:

 

[The Hair]

If I remember correctly, I think my Elementary school teacher was a trumpet player. Maybe I'm just thinking that because he was trying to force it on me lol. I just couldn't buzz back in 4th grade.
My junior high school band teacher was a percussionist. Strange, huh? Betcha didn't think drummers were intelligent enough to do such things. I kid, I kid.
And in high school, my symphonic band teacher is a flautist (or flutist, whatever floats your boat), and my jazz ensemble teacher is a saxophonist (woot!), tenor to be precise. I'm not much of a Bb man, but I'm just glad that since hes a sax player, he doesn't forget about us saxes. (Did that happen to anyone else kinda often, where they had a teacher who didn't play sax, and would forget about you? )

 

[LazySaxman]

In junior high, I had 2 concert band directors, one was a really hip trumpet player, and the other was a little old fat lady that played classical alto with the squarest style possible (I mean that in a bad way :| ) Whenever addressing the sax section, she would just say "saxes" but if you were a tenor player, and you played, she got mad that you played when she didn't tell you to.... but if you did NOT play, she was mad that you didn't play when she told you to :? . Anyways, my High school band/jazz band director is a low brass man, and for that, my main influence from him is marching band :shock:

 

[dentonmusicstore]

My junior high director was a sax player with a doctorate in classical sax performance. Probably the most credentialed band director in the district and still teaches to this day, I ran into him at a convention this spring. In high school the head director was a trombonist. His most enduring quote about saxophones:

Saxophones are like tomatoes, and the band is a vegetable soup. If you put too many tomatoes in your vegetable soup, you get tomato soup, and I HATE tomato soup!

 

[bluesaxgirl]

Right now, I have three: an amazing trumpet player, and the other one: French horn player, drum major, he's really good too. And, three: she does a lot of everything. But mainly flute and clarinet.

 

[JfW]

My first instructor was a clarinet player and I don't think she liked the saxophone all that much. My second teacher in HS was a percussionist, then had a year with a guy who played everything well (RIP Mr. Z), and then finished up HS under a Horn player. Anywhoo, I continued on through my first year of college, took private lessons and workshops from professors of saxophone who fixed my crappy clarinet-like embochure.

I admit it: I am partial against clarinetists teaching saxophone because of the possibility of them teaching you their lazy technique.

 

[jazzbluescat]

My first band director (jhs) was a tuba player. He would constantly stop the band and demonstrate the way a tuba player is supposed to tongue, except he'd stick his tongue out and almost touch his nose to demonstrate. It was funnier'n hell when he'd stop the band and start the demonstration without saying a word.

 

[ChuBerry47]

My first band teacher could play any one of those on a professional level. Is that amazing or what? :?

 

[retread]

My first, and only, band teacher taught grade school through high school (cradle to the grave) instrumental music for the entire system--and the city band in the summer. His instrument was violin, but by the time I was in senior high the orchestra was discontinued for lack of interest. I always felt sorry that he couldn't take advantage of his first love. He got us all started with basic instruction on our instruments, and after that we were on our own. But he did teach us music.

 

[bandmommy]

My first and only band directors' primary instrument was and still is clarinet.
However he is a master on any and all 'band' instruments, plus a few others.

He's retired from teaching now but is still involved in the trade. He has a recording studio, arranges, gigs, and plays in some major shows at DaVos Hall. He donates his directorial and arranging skills to a local community choir and is a member of the community band. If anyone has a question, he has the time to answer, demonstrate, and share a story.

My girls are enjoying having him play piano for them at Solo & Ensemble competitions and are thankful to have a comforting presence as they go to their first State competition. Not to mention hearing all the stories about Mom in her youth.

There are good BD's out there, but this guy is truly one of the greats.

 

[michaelbaird]

My first band director that really was my inspiration was Al Deleonibus "Mr D," God rest his sole. He was a pro player in Nashville who played alot of the nightclubs downtown on piano and accordian, but he started on clarinet, then switched to the sax. He was married to a country music singer. When I was in the 9th grade, he took me and a couple of friends out to his car during band class and drove us around the neighborhood listening to Maynard Ferguson "Live at Jimmy's." My sophmore year summer 1978, I saw Maynard Ferguson at the "Rite of Spring" jazz festival at Vanderbilt University. The performer before Maynard played was Dexter Gordon! I don't listen to Maynard Ferguson much anymore, but Dexter is my favorite ballad player.