Forum - View topicHow Sound! Euphonium Totally Nails Being a Band Geek
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Revolutionary
 Posts: 607 Location: New England |
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Sad. =( I was fortunate enough to have grandparents who were super supportive of me, and actually bought me my own bassoon, so I never had to worry about that. I'm not professional, but I play in a community orchestra and it's really great to have it there. =) |
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Kamieichi
 Posts: 57 |
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Actually, KyoAni or Anime's tradition that girls outnumber boys are nothing to do with it. It is the truth of real life Japanese school concert band clubs. Boys usually join sports clubs. It is even mentioned in the Hibike! novel that ratio of male to female in the concert band clubs is generally about 1:9. If you watch this video, you will get it. Last year's gold prize winners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71ykoAF6foc |
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SailorTralfamadore
 Posts: 499 Location: Keep Austin Weeb |
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I think that depends on the instrument and what your school's music program expects in terms of practice level. Most of my friends in high school owned their instruments (and I had friends across the instrument spectrum), and only one or two of them ended up going into music professionally. Even as a "serious hobby" they needed to own it to practice as much they were required. I did come from a pretty affluent area, though, so it could have also been that everyone could afford their chosen instrument. I owned my cello and bass guitar--and still do. This was true even before I decided to major in music (and I'm not a performance major, anyway). I didn't own a contrabass because I borrowed one from my school, and my family didn't have enough money for ANOTHER instrument on top of the ones I already had. Low strings are expensive! I would like to get my own contrabass when I have more money. At the very least, then I could have more opportunities to play it. Playing bass in jazz band was the most fun performance experience I had, and I'd love to find a jazz ensemble and do that again. P.S. If you're really serious about something like clarinet, you wouldn't be getting one made out of plastic. And any instrument gets expensive when you start looking into the higher-end models. Especially for woodwinds where they usually have to get auxiliary instruments if they're serious about playing in an orchestra, like A-major clarinets in this case. At least us string and brass players (usually) only need one axe. |
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raich8
Posts: 17 |
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That's actually referenced in the show, too. One of the things written on the advertisement for the concert band in the first episode is that they're looking especially for boys to join. That strikes me as one of those pointless gender stereotype things, like the whole business with certain instruments having a really heavy gender imbalance. I'm a guy and I played the flute, so naturally I got hit with some of that.
As I recall from doing band in junior high, I rented my flute from a music store. I think. |
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rizuchan
 Posts: 980 Location: Kansas |
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That's really fascinating. I had no idea. In my band in midwest USA the ratio was pretty close to 1:1 though individual sections were usually skewed to one gender or the other. Still, I notice that most of the Tuba/Euphonium players are male, so my point stands there. 
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Cyanna
Posts: 1 |
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I think one scene in S!E that really nailed it for me was when Hazuki finally played in an ensemble and discovered the magic in playing tuba in a group.
In addition to band (flute) I was also in choir. Some time a few years ago the husband and I were talking about our old band/chorus days and I said that even though composers don't really favor the lower female range, I absolutely love being an alto. He was surprised because alto parts are usually a little dull. But as "boring" as our parts might be I always felt like I make magic happen. I got the melody all the time as a flute player and I never really found it as magical in the same way. So seeing Hazuki discover this for herself made me go "Yes! This show gets it!" |
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Via_01
 Posts: 551 |
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I used to play the flute during my high school days, though I had to force myself to quit once I reached my last year of school (had to study for exams and stuff). Surprisingly enough, there weren't many flute players in my band (we were easily outnumbered by the violinists, clarinetists and saxophonists), and I suppose that's why I never felt too pressured: competition wasn't high, and actually, most of the other players hadn't been playing for too long, so I was usually the better one. Then again, that also meant solo parts got thrown at me, and sometimes they were too much to handle...
As I suppose it's common practice, the school was the one who lent me the instrument, so of course I was left without my precious flute by the time I graduated. I didn't want to pursue music profesionally, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth, so I saved up, talked with some of my teachers and finally bought a good flute at a decent price. Now I play it from time to time as a hobby. As a side note, I remember that when Episode 5 aired (the one with the marching competition), some people said that KyoAni was simply "showing off" with how the bands marched (in a good way, of course), but recently I looked up in google some japanese high school marching bands and... holy hell. Just holy hell. I would never be able to do that. To give you guys an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05WS4VZYizA |
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kevinx59
 Posts: 959 Location: In sunny California |
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I have mixed feelings about watching this show. On the one hand it's entertaining and well made. On the other hand... Well i was in band in middle school, playing the clarinet. I wasn't quite the slacker like bobob101 said but I didn't really practice much outside of class. I was pretty average, not great but not bad either. I didn't care about chairs so I had no interest in competition with the other members. I remember marching practice, going an hour before school started Mondays and Wednesdays to march on the running track and then going again during 5th (or was it 6th?) period band class. At least some of the trips were fun (the Indio Tamale Festival was cool) and we would usually do really well in the marching competitions (I remember we got 4th place in a really big marching band review/competition and we'd get 1st place in all of the smaller ones). Sectionals... some if them were all over the place but other times they were focused, although I think I ditched some of them.
My band mates were interesting. Naturally some of them were really good, but they were also cocky. Our drum majors were cool though (and all girls). There were also a lot of manga fans in there too (mostly reading Case Closed, Fruits Basket, Ceres and Alice 19th. Meanwhile I was there with my Evangelion and Fullmetal Alchemist). Also got a lot of Yu-Gi-Oh! trades there that I still have to this day. So yeah, I don't really have amazing memories of band but at least I wasn't traumatized, and i learned good music reading skills. I still have my clarinet (most students borrowed the school Yamaha ones but my parents bought me a clarinet in fifth grade), but I didn't continue band in high school so I haven't touched it in nearly 10 years. I wonder if it still works? So yeah, it feels odd watching Sound Euphonium. For the record I don't remember any of us naming our instruments. However, my sister named her black acoustic guitar Celty, and I've been thinking of a perfect name for my electric. Its a black Les Paul so maybe... Gitah? |
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SailorTralfamadore
Posts: 499 Location: Keep Austin Weeb |
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Yeah, I rented my cello when I was in middle school. (It was really junky. That music store was some seriously scammy shit.) When I got to high school I bought an instrument, though. And then I got a nicer one when I started college. I bought my bass guitar from the start; I don't think they do the renting system for guitars? |
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kazume
Posts: 129 |
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First chair Alto Sax chiming in here: This show is godly... holy &^%$ if ANYONE licenses it... dub or no dub, I don't care what price it is for this season (and yet I hope they animate all 3 novels,) this show is mine.
It may not have the musical content of Nodame Cantabile or the overall greatness of Chihayafuru (2 shows that desperately need to come over...) but damn it if everything else isn't on point. I never named my instrument but I remember being good enough to take the first chair/solos position for Alto's back in high school as a sophomore (the school I went to KINDA had a hierarchy whereas freshman couldn't quality/take that spot. It wasn't outright stated but definitely implied.) So i can get the gist of what's going on here when auditioning for spots. To this day I never really payed attention whether or not it pissed off the juniors/seniors that I got the spot that early on but I was busy playing and getting better at my instrument that well... that's just it, I simply didn't pay attention on whether or not I stepped on any other sax's toes. Think Drumline here; you want my spot, I'll play you for it 
Edit: Oh yeah, I didn't even need to click that link to know that the Oboe was the "no middle ground" instrument. You play the oboe and are good at it... you are a fkkn god my friend. I bow to thee. Last edited by kazume on Fri Jun 05, 2015 3:19 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Aki Ameko
 Posts: 88 Location: Iowa, USA |
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...BUT WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY A EUPHONIUM PLAYER AND THE MAIN CHARACTER PLAYS EUPHONIUM. *whispery screaming* Seriously, I do feel like I'm getting seriously spoiled with this anime. It's true; the ones who don't get much attention are extremely fierce and tribal about their section. 
For the conversation earlier about gendered instruments; yes, I was a female in a very male-dominated low-brass section. We had a few female trombones and later in my high school years we got a female tuba and another female euphonium. Also, anyone else notice that a lot of the sectional stereotypes seem to be here? Like the stuck-on-themselves trumpets, and the extremely goofy low-brass? I always noticed low-brass, and the trombones, seemed to be a very goofy (and pervy) bunch, probably because we were usually in the back of the room. (I was always the one laughing at but not participating in their antics.) Trumpets get a bad rap for being egotistical, but that goes for any instrument that gets melody part a lot, like flutes and violins. (It's not universally true, though.) Anybody else planning to cosplay Hibike? I'm doing Kumiko for AnimeIowa! And I'm bringing my euph! Asrialys: You play euphonium and watch Hibike Euphonium....Will you be my BFF? In all seriousness, though, I've found it rather difficult to find people to geek out about Hibike with on the internet... 
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EmperorBrandon
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 2215 Location: Springfield, MO |
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It's already confirmed by Ponycan USA. |
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bastek66
Posts: 118 |
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GIFs are past, why aren't you using WEBMs?
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thecritter
Posts: 69 Location: Northwest GA |
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I started in band nearly 50 years ago. I was a weird, outcast kid, and band gave me the first group I'd ever fit into, a ready-made set of friends, and group participation that I could actually enjoy. I even made music one of my majors in college (math being the other), and my music education got me started on decades of semi-pro bass guitar. I dropped the tuba when I got out of college, but picked it up again 14 years ago and have never looked back.
Music is the world's best hobby. I play semi-professionally still, but I play just for fun in an ancient big band, a British-style brass band, a community concert band, a jazz band, assist with a local college band, theatrical shows, church music, and any other opportunity to play that I can weasel my way into. I'm 63 and have been retired for a decade, and music keeps me active, challenged, and happy. Band is the start for many folks, and for too many, it's the end. But if you look around, there may be opportunities to keep involved in places that you may not have dreamed of. Music keeps the mind active. Involvement keeps you moving. The joy of performing doesn't go away as you get older. Books, music, anime, and manga have made my later life a lot of fun. No matter what life leads you to, keep your mind and your soul active. Life is in great part what you make of it. |
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astuffds
Posts: 1 |
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I've never been in a band before, but watching Sound! Euphonium totally makes me regret the fact that I didn't. Seems so fun! I am also glad that many people here feels the same, it adds up to my reason in picking this anime as the best anime of the season.
Anyway, I love how natural things flow in the anime, and I have to say that Kumiko is the cutest KyoAni character so far. I can relate to her way of thinking very much, and her sarcasm is the main punchline for the series' comedy part. KyoAni paid a lot of attention in the subtlest gestures, the characters don't have to say too much to make the us understand what they feel. I can't wait for the next episodes to come x) Getting excited every week |
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