Nitro, 2007 ATSSB Texas All-State Symphonic Band

[punkrocker0861]

aww I miss this!!! I was in this band Im a Tuba player :)

[luke55698]

People from ATSSB can try out with TMEA if they want to. I'm tired of this "TMEA kids go to UNT" crap. I know several "ATSSB Kids" who got into UNT as a freshman, which is hard for even TMEA kids to do. I also might note that many of ATSSB's first chairs could beat TMEA's in their sleep. It's just that on average, there are more good players in TMEA (because there are more kids to start with?). Also, ATSSB students can try out with TMEA if they so desire, but why would they if ATSSB is easier?

[chaguirre1]

i think they should just combine everyone cuz its not fair that you get 4 year all staters on ATSSB and not on TMEA. its harder on TMEA. and i know of several ppl who make ATSSB the first three years and then tried out for TMEA and didnt make it. ATSSB is so much more Easier than TMEA and i dont think that is fair.

@luke55698

[luke55698]

@chaguirre1 I'm not trying to disagree with you. My point being that ATSSB has, in the top of their all-state group, some really impressive self-made musicians that aren't even playing their primary instrument. The audition process is easier, but the environment produces a different kind of musician than you'd find in a larger institution like the 4A or 5A group. We're often involved with a lot of other things besides band.

[lazyeddie04]

This is nothing compared to North Carolina. Listen to NC's 2009 recording of this song. Not even close.

[zhamilton91]

A-AA-AAA Schools are completely Legit!! I was part of this song!! This, Final alice, Washington Post, and the REALLY LONG old renaissance piece of music! It was really fun and the experience is worth it, wether you're in TMEA or ATSSB!!

[riceboy47]

o and were all band geeks...BAND GEEKS UNITE!!!

[riceboy47]

LOLS! the euphoniums F'ed up on a high note at 2:02! sounds hilarious, their like WTF????

[riceboy47]

LOLS! the euphoniums F'ed up on a high note at 2:02! sounds hilarious, their like WTF????

[amberdenea2]

This was our marching show last year :D

[luke55698]

TMEA has a larger pool of people to chose from. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're better, but it often does.

[Hector95100]

how do u count 7-8 time

[Fransizzzzzzle]

1-2-1-2-1-2-3 or 1-2-3-1-2-1-2 depends on the patern

[Hector95100]

ok say its 8-8 time the count is 1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2 where does the foot? Only on one. so if it on only one does the tempo change.

[Fransizzzzzzle]

it sort of does, just for how many 8-8 or 7-8 bars there are. because it is in a different meter than 4-4

[1stchairbarisax]

here's a how we counted it at my all state in north carolina

one and two and 3 loli

[prsguitarist56]

my band is playing this

amazing piece!

[MergGates1]

Hey you guys have the same band folder I do!!!!! With the rounded balls of music!!! Over a sea!

[dfol3030]

Ticheli music wants to make me die :)

[luke55698]

Is it just me, or does the band director look like a cross between Mr. Rogers and Taylor Hicks?

[SteelVaginas90210]

this doesnt sound as good as the other recording of this by the same band, the other one sounds more interesting, but this one is just like no... no.. this isnt right

[TexasClarinet]

The other recording is the top all-state band from Texas. Those students tend to live in large cities and study with professional musicians (some of my students were in that band). This recording is the the "small school" all-state band - mainly students from small towns.

[itwasthepudding]

This is the ATSSB (association of texas small school bands) which is 1A 2A 3A and private schools, the other band is TMEA (5A 4A), also most smaller schools are at a financial disadvantage and will often have 1 director instructing more than 1 instrument. SO most ATSSB schools do not have private instructors or specialty directors.

[antononly]

my high school is playing this as the UIL show for this year, this is an amazing piece

[Piechickenman]

this sounds like the recording....

amazing!!!!

[clarinetmike88]

Personally, musicians to me that do not take private lessons usually are the ones that are more talented then those who do. You have someone in those lessons teaching you how to do something. I never took one private lesson. I am PMEA'S Previous Principle Clarinet in the top band. You go through rounds to get to all state. Honors, District, Regions, States, All-Eastern. I've been through every single festival, with not private lessons. So, before you put those down, think about that one!

[TheManBassoon]

There some who have the right way of thinking("talent") to get good at their instrument from the start. There are some who don't yet and need some teaching. The vast majority, as a whole, of kids who don't take private lessons are not as accomplished as kids who do. There are always outliers.

[Piechickenman]

I made first chair tenor in the city and I have only been playing music for less than 2 years. I take private lessons.

Private lessons are really helpful, they allow you to practice with someone who is much better than you, probably the best thing you can ever do.

I will be auditioning for the county band, and will be playing a very difficult song, called "a song for hope" by john tegmeyer. I has 7-let and 5-let runs constantly. I play it perfectly. because of lessons. and some sheer talent.

[oygad]

IN THE CITY???

big fucking deal

[SteelVaginas90210]

hey, thats not cool, he said he's been playing music for less than 2 years, thats a pretty outstanding accomplishment

u dont realize that lots of people audition for these things, so its very hard to make first chair. I've personally made all-region, but I've never gotten anywhere near first chair, but it doesn't matter since people still think I'm better than at least 90% of trumpet players, so I think his accomplishment is a big deal, you're just showing off

[luke55698]

Why are you defending 4A and 5A, you were 3A before you graduated... You confuse me...

[ethanjhayward]

okay, imagine you're an immensely talented musician. you could leave it that way, or you could practice with another person. it doesn't matter if that person is better than you or not. the collaboration is going to make you better. especially if they ARE better than you, which is the case in private instruction. there really is no way to not see the benefits of taking private lessons.

[GuitarheroGodlike]

well arn't you special ;) fag brag more

[dawnia2007]

I was in this All-State band after playing for 2 1/2 years and a tuba player who had only been playing for 1. I'm not rich, yet I managed to take private lessons, while others couldn't. It's all a matter of God-given talent and the size school you go to doesn't make a difference. The reason the TMEA bands COULD be viewed as better is the amount of resources they have over us. Yet, in that I believe that our band of small town kids did great. It's immature to argue this when we all love music.

[j565c]

GO ATSSB! :)

The whole "tmea is better than atssb" thing is stupid. TMEA people don't understand how different it us for us ATSSB people. We don't have a top band or wind ensemble to put all our best members in. Or one director for each of our middle school and highschool bands. The kids who make our region and state band usually do it because THEY themselves (without lessons or helP) were determined to. I think hearing these kids play this typoe of song is much more amazing.

[1stchairbarisax]

this was very well done

im not sure which i like more this one or interlochen cuz interlochen duz it alot more fast but u guys do it so u can actually hear wut the clarinets r supposed to sound like. u guys did a really good job on this. ps wut that u gettin the award and if so wut wuz it 4?

[trumpetplayerfromhel]

zomg..rio hondo had 9 all staters that year...and this year we had 9 again...none returning from the previous year...LOL

[DallasMorningNews]

One thing that can't be argued is that TMEA percussionist blow ATSSB all state percussionists out of the water. ATSSB let's you advance on one instrument while TMEA forces you to advance on 3 percussion instruments.

Who is the better rounded percussionist?

[ThisIsSize]

Haha, you'll get some sense into you when you start doing music professionally, trust me.

[DallasMorningNews]

What are you talking about? such a vague response

[yellowduckie140024]

Hey they changed that now. ATSSB forces their percussion to do all three.

[1337evan]

One thing I dont understand is Marching Snares in a Concert Setting. That's not meant for concert bands. They are called Marching Snares for a reason.

[chocotastic]

I'm just really wondering whats with some of the people wearing like marching uniforms. I remember seeing this in some of the old 4A All-State videos, just wondering what that was all about.

[iserishacoli555]

its required..im not sure why but i hate it too when im on stage i feel less formal

[chocotastic]

So then why do some people have like actual concert attire and stuff?

[iserishacoli555]

cause the shool doesn't have REAL marching band uniforms so they just have too resort 2 matching attire and colors

[sorafb]

or they were like mine and thought the idea of also having concert attire was appropriate. I still use my tux in my college band.

[Remy21689]

I can answer that. Yeah, it's required, but I was in the band above, and since I was drum major at my school, I wore our drum major uniform (a tux).

[cliffgoat]

I played 2nd chair Fhorn in this band.....this song was CRUNK!!

[princessangelicsmile]

omigosh!! lol so excited to play first trumpet on this song!!!! yall have no idea. haha its just for school though... not state or anything.

[chocotastic]

I heard the trumpet parts blow from my friend who plays trumpet when our band just played it last year for kicks.

[Aaya74]

oh we played this last year with the TMEA 5A Symphonic Band, it was fun haha, but people, dont fight over whats better, we're all musicians!

[tbonesfa]

THANK YOU!

I'm tired of this whole elitist TMEA vs. ATSSB crap that I heard year after year.  It took me a while to realize this, but the question when you're in band, isn't "what chair or band did I make?" but rather, "what music are we going to play?"

[tikitiki111]

thank you God!!!!!

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[raderrius]

I played tuba in the ATSSB symphonic band last year and I'll be the one to brag and say that we're a whole lot better than those TMEA bitches.

[musiclover916]

Honestly, the ATSSB All-State band is about the same if not worse than a TMEA All-Region Band. Trust me. I did both when I was in high school. I'm glad I chose to do the TMEA route instead. The end result was much more rewarding.

[zhamilton91]

I was soo there last year!!! I was 2nd Chair Contrabass Clarinet and i loved the slow song we played. (wasn't it something from alice in wonderland?) lol

[zhamilton91]

I was sad that i didn't get to see the symphonic band this year, but the time differences between the Jazz ensemble and concert were way to far apart (i made bari sax for state jazz '08)

[Remy21689]

I was first chair trombone! And it was Acrostic Song.

[LaVerniaRules]

ATSSB is still a major accomplishment, and i know some ATSSB people who can beat TMEA people. At West Texas for example, some ATSSB all state players were ranked higher than people who were in symphonic band in TMEA.

[Remy21689]

This is true. I should know, because I go to West Texas, and while we have some of the best trombone players I've ever met, I'm still better than quite a few of the 5A Symphonic Band all-state trombone players. It's not about the funding or anything. It's about how hard the kid in question wants to work, and what they're willing to do to get to the top.

[LaVerniaRules]

I agree that TMEA is better than ATSSB, but that because the lager schools have more funding than ours. Our old director had two side jobs just to support his family.

[LaVerniaRules]

I think it is more impressive hearing 1A, 2A, and 3A students playing a class four as well as they did compared to 5A students playing it.

[musiclover916]

Just listen to a performance of the same piece by the TMEA all state band. It's like night and day. When you kids get to college and hear what music is supposed to sound like, you'll realize that TMEA is in a much higher league than ATSSB.

[tbonesfa]

OK, I'm more than a little miffed by this TMEA elitism. At my college, several of the top players in each studio are ATSSB state players.

All-state doesn't make a complete comment on one's musicianship.

[musiclover916]

The reason for that is because most of the TMEA all-staters attend schools with serious programs like North Texas, UT or Baylor. Most of the top chairs at TMEA go straight to conservatory like Juilliard, New England conservatory or Eastman. Don't kid yourself! Comparing TMEA to ATSSB is like comparing Major League baseball to little league baseball. I know from experience that making the all state band for ATSSB is the equivalent to making the all-region band for TMEA at the 5A track.

[tikitiki111]

ok, you seriously need a wake up call.

just because we don't go to a freakin rich stuck up school doesn't mean we're not as good of players.

and in 5A, almost EVERYBODY has private lessons.

ATSSB is small schools and we can't afford to have private lessons like you rich kids do.

we achieve our musicality by ourselves and ourselves alone.

We ARE just as good.

[tbonesfa]

Actually, I went to a 5A school, and we didn't have private lesson teachers... I had to travel a 3-hour round trip to study with the trombone teacher to get lessons, and that was just in 12th grade.

But yeah, you do make a good point; a lot of the TMEA 5A track students do take private lessons, not to mention the competition is just a little bit stiffer than it was in the past.

[musiclover916]

No...ATSSB is NOT as good as TMEA. Sorry to be the one to tell you, but it's true. TMEA kids play on a much higher level. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can start taking music seriously. I understand all about achieving your music skills on your own, but private lessons are what makes those TMEA kids much better. They are not better people than you, they just have more resources.

[chocotastic]

Both programs are mean to further the musical aptitude of possible future musicians, not to compete over who is better or who is as good. True, many TMEA musicians are more talented and just downright better musicians than ATSSB, but it's about music, and playing it like you fucking mean it. Not about which program is better.

[totalbandnerd]

ahhh allstate . Jerry Junkin was sooo cool, made me wanna go to UT. but eh, not the school for me. 2nd chair Bass Clarinet here, our music rocked... half my face is in one of the pics!

[tbonesfa]

You know, the next time I hear someone say "ATSSB isn't *real* all-state," I'll throw this video in their face. Anyone who can play this kind of literature has to have *some* kind of talent!

[tikitiki111]

no kidding!!!

we are JUST AS GOOD as the TMEA players.

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[gardner356]

I was in this band - 4th chair trombone - trombones were AMAZING btw. ;] - ...although I don't think our performace of NITRO was as good as it was in one of our rehearsals.

[tikitiki111]

i know i was 5th chair tuba,

the best performance of all our songs was in the basement thing the day b4, i think.

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[gardner356]

yeah for sure. I def. I agree.

[Skyseeker2000]

Well, I was a member of this band from 01-04 while in HS! What good sounds! I miss being there!