[Almost Enough]

hey, im a trumpet/trombone player, and i was kinda noticing that its starting to die out more. everyone who plays is/are old. i dont know if its is or are, so ill put both. even a lot of ska bands that i see (not many around here so dont bite my head off) are a bunch of late 20's early 30 year olds. what does everyone else think? i think this kinda ties in with the fact that most swing/ska/big bands are dying out too. is the popular crowd just lost? or are we the last of a dying breed?

[Xkcer Man]

The correct usage would be "Everyone who plays is old."

Brass players are not a dying breed by any means. Maybe they are in popular music, but I see no problem with that.

[busnutmedic]

Originally Posted by Almost Enough

hey, im a trumpet/trombone player, and i was kinda noticing that its starting to die out more. everyone who plays is/are old. i dont know if its is or are, so ill put both. even a lot of ska bands that i see (not many around here so dont bite my head off) are a bunch of late 20's early 30 year olds. what does everyone else think? i think this kinda ties in with the fact that most swing/ska/big bands are dying out too. is the popular crowd just lost? or are we the last of a dying breed?

I hope we aren't a dying breed. www.trumpetherald.com/forum has a lot of younger people, including me. Just about everyone in my family plays brass...so we're doing all we can to keep it alive

Bonnie

[snizzle]

Originally Posted by Almost Enough

hey, im a trumpet/trombone player, and i was kinda noticing that its starting to die out more. everyone who plays is/are old. i dont know if its is or are, so ill put both. even a lot of ska bands that i see (not many around here so dont bite my head off) are a bunch of late 20's early 30 year olds. what does everyone else think? i think this kinda ties in with the fact that most swing/ska/big bands are dying out too. is the popular crowd just lost? or are we the last of a dying breed?

Haha, everyone that plays is old. They're like 28!!! Man, that's old. I'm 19, but i'm starting to realize that twenties/thirties aren't really that old. Anyways onto the subject at hand.

I'm at sax playa. However, i'm looking into taking up trombone if i can find a decent cheap one (like well under $50). I'm all about starting ska stuff, etc. Actually the reason I wanna learn to play trombone is cuz of the 'bone playa from the supertones (specifcaly the solo on 'fade away'). Man, good stuff. Anyways, I think it has a lot to do with the culture. As we go more towards rap and pop there really isn't a need to play instruments cuz everything is synth or pre-recorded. There's no one to look up to anymore on brass (or any wind instruments really, Kenny G does NOT count. haha). Anyways, i think brass could make a comeback. Ya just gotta make it cool again.
-shane

[Rocket]

well i'm very interested in trumpet, but do not know if i have the breath/voice for it. you can check my profile for my age (and i feel 25), i play electric and acoustic guitar in my church and i am very contempary in my music and life style. my fav trumpet player is Chris Botti. if i could get my hands on a good trumpet-ijust might start messing with it. i would hate to see any brass players give up on playing-i would rather see them join the church in praise and worship or both join a band and play in church. my two cents...thanks for listening oh, my daughter had a scholarship to college in saxaphone and my son played trumpet in high school...enjoy...later

[Art]

The hundreds of brass players in Jr. High and High School bands would disagree with you that we are a dying breed.

[Xkcer Man]

Try hundreds of thousands. Heck, just at my school (University of Houston) there's easily over a hundred brass players in the marching band, and that accounts for less than half of school.

[busnutmedic]

Hm, how many kids are actually serious about brass? In the trumpet playing world I thought it was very competitive, untill I tried out for districts and made it. There wasn't really THAT much competition. But comparing them to guitars, they seem like they're dying out. Compare them to oboes or bassoons and they're pretty in!

Bonnie
PS. In my town there are only a handful of halfway serious trumpet players in the highschool band (like, 3 or 4!). In the community band of about 50 we only have 3 trumpets, including myself.

[Xkcer Man]

It's quite competive at my school.

[Art]

Originally Posted by busnutmedic

Hm, how many kids are actually serious about brass? In the trumpet playing world I thought it was very competitive, untill I tried out for districts and made it. There wasn't really THAT much competition. But comparing them to guitars, they seem like they're dying out. Compare them to oboes or bassoons and they're pretty in!

Bonnie
PS. In my town there are only a handful of halfway serious trumpet players in the highschool band (like, 3 or 4!). In the community band of about 50 we only have 3 trumpets, including myself.

It is fully a matter of where you are. In my district my junior year, I got one of the two trumpet spots given to anyone in my school for trumpet. Our rival school had one, who was also all state. I did not have a prayer at all state.

[busnutmedic]

I tried out for the district thing last year, it went pretty badly. I didn't know any of my scales up to two months prior, and was pretty unprepared. This year I got my piece a little in advance, tried out, and majorly botched the audiotion (I thought). I made it anyways. I was just surprised that there were more people who tried out and did better than I did.

One thing that indicates the brass might be coming back in. All the 1sts at districts were 16 and below, all the thirds were 16 (me) or over. That was very surprising, to look down the line and see all these little kids playing lead!

I think this is a bad place to be looking for brass players. There just aren't many here. Just like at the trumpet sites I visit there aren't many guitar players.

Bonnie

[Me4ChristGrl]

I must say that brass is not a 'dying breed' at all. I would agree that many young people are brass players. i mean, in my middle school band this past year, we had about 20 trumpet players in a 70 person band. I, myself, play trombone and i think it's one of the best instruments out there. But maybe the reason why most brass players in bands are older is because it takes quite a while to get that good. I mean, first chairs in high school bands have quite a ways to go to be as good as the first chair of a college band and likewise, the first chair of a college band has quite a ways to go to be as good as the people in bands such as supertones. Being a brass player who's had experience playing with professionals and i know that it takes many years and hours and hours of practice to achieve the skill they have.

wow, hope i don't sound naive.

but those of you thinking about starting trombone, do it! you'll enjoy it.

[trumpet271]

Originally Posted by Art

The hundreds of brass players in Jr. High and High School bands would disagree with you that we are a dying breed.

I agree with this. Even though some schools are getting rid of their music programs, the schools that do have music programs teach classical/jazz programs rather than like guitar ensembles. As long as young people continue to be introduced to classical instruments, I think there will always be some.

OH and I'm turning 26 this year and still playing...

[smashing guitar]

Im sorry.It seems as if guitar is becoming....over populated.

[trumpet271]

It does seem like everyone plays guitar these days, doesn't it? I guess it depends where you are. In my last church, another guy played the trumpet and no one played guitar and now in my new church, no one plays the trumpet and EVERYONE plays guitar.