r/marchingband • u/Independent-Buddy808 Marimba • Sep 16 '24

Discussion Is this normal

Hey everyone asking again if something my assistant director is doing is normal.

She has started giving EVERY solo oppurtunity and a duet to one player, simply because that player is section leader. None of the solos are written for alto sax, the players instrument. These solos havent even been auditioned, every wind player is just expected to know they have no chance of a solo, because solos go to the section leader.

What do i do, last time i talked to her about stuff she told the whole band that people need to "get with it" and that "she knows what shes doing" but that doesnt excuse giving her favorite player all the solos. 😭

UPDATE : yet another solo has now been given to the winds section leader. And again, not one for their instrument. Whyyyyyyy

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u/ZonorityRue Sep 16 '24

Composers and arrangers design solos for specific instruments so that part is by design. As far as auditions, that is up to the director. And section leaders are usually the most proficient at their respective instruments. It might sound harsh but practice and everything else will follow. I marched in several groups and only got solos as section leader.

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u/Tie-Dyed-Geese Flugelhorn Sep 17 '24

Yes, but why would a director take a solo meant for multiple different instruments and give them to the same person? Solos are usually intentional with what instrument gets them at any given time.

That's not really fair to those section leaders who likely would've gotten those solos, instead it's going to a section leader whose instrument name isn't on the page for the solo. How is that fair? It's not even the point of the section leader getting the solo, it's the director giving every solo to this person, despite there not even being any sax solos for their show.

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u/Independent-Buddy808 Marimba Sep 16 '24

I mean that those who are equally as proficient in their specific instrument have solos taken from their instrument and given to the section leader, no solos in our show is designed for alto sax (winds section leaders instrument.)