Help! Should I do marching band again next season?? (I march flute)?

Question:I was a rookie this season, and I don't know if I should march again

But here's the thing:
I was a replacement for someone else, so my family had already planned a vacation during the week of band camp!
So I didn't go to band camp and had a really tough time making up 50 sets...
This season, I didn't even play the music (just got braces/didn't memorize the music well enough/learning drill)

Next season, I may have to miss some of band camp again!
I don't know if I want to march again, I hated making up drill and not playing the show music (I only played at football games)

I felt so bad about not playing, my section leader told me not to worry about playing at first, so I always concentrated on drill
Then the directors and section leader started tuning me for competitions! (They thought I was playing, but I wasn't)
Everyone in my section, except for my section leader knew I wasn't playing... (The directors must have thought I did)

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I was a rookie this season, and I don't know if I should march again

But here's the thing:
I was a replacement for someone else, so my family had already planned a vacation during the week of band camp!
So I didn't go to band camp and had a really tough time making up 50 sets...
This season, I didn't even play the music (just got braces/didn't memorize the music well enough/learning drill)

Next season, I may have to miss some of band camp again!
I don't know if I want to march again, I hated making up drill and not playing the show music (I only played at football games)

I felt so bad about not playing, my section leader told me not to worry about playing at first, so I always concentrated on drill
Then the directors and section leader started tuning me for competitions! (They thought I was playing, but I wasn't)
Everyone in my section, except for my section leader knew I wasn't playing... (The directors must have thought I did)

If you love it, you can find a way to stay in it.
Talk to your director about getting help with shows. Get your section leader(s) to meet you outside of general rehearsal to help you memorize the drill charts and music. Practice the music often so you don't fail the memory tests.

That's your only option if you want to continue, but miss marching camp. It sounds like during camp, you learn show drill---you guys must move along quickly!

Your response says that at this moment, missing camp is 50/50 chance. What can you do to be able to go to camp? If it's a family vacation, talk to your parents and tell them what you want to do.

Lastly, talk to the directors and see if they can help you as well, should you choose to miss camp. If you really want to be in marching band, you'll have to make the effort to make up what you missed. It's not fair to hold the rest of the group back if you choose not to try to make up the rehearsals you miss.

Good luck!

no.

Ok you have slacked off for two years, missed band camp and still need to ask if you should do something you are not willing to sacrifice time for. Um....................... In the band I was in in High School you would have not only been kicked out but not allowed to play in concert season either!

I guess the real question is, do you enjoy it? Do you love to play the flute? Is this something you are doing for yourself, or for your parents? If it's for you, keep trying. Get your parents to recognize how important camp is to the rest of the year. You don't say how old you are or if you have other relatives near you. Is it possible (and okay with you) that you could stay with a friend or relative so you could attend camp anyway and not go on the family vacation? My daughter played in band for two years and then begged to quit. I let her quit. Now she regrets it and I am stuck with three hundred dollars worth of instrument. It gets easier year to year, you develop muscle memory of the songs and you build your skill for drill year to year. Band looks good too on collage applications, shows you have a stick-to-it attitude. It's also possible that you could receive scholarships through band. I think you should give it a go.

If it's something you're really interested in and you think you could become really good at, why not? But that means you'll have to work hard to catch up with everyone else, and that means you can't give up band camp or private lessons. It'll have to be something you're dedicated to, but it sounds to me you aren't extremely interested in it. Perhaps you can try something else you like, like a certain sport or club? Just ask yourself, "What are my specialties? What do I think I'd be good at?" There's something out there for everyone, so don't worry.