I thought there would be at least ONE thread on this link just exploding with viola jokes, but no. How very strange...

A viola player is fed up to the back teeth with viola jokes so he decides to pick another instrument. He walks into the shop.
`I`d like to buy that nice red accordion over there please`.
The shop keeper looks and says `You`re a viola player aren`t you?`
The viola player is a bit taken aback `How did you gues?!`
`Easy, that`s a radiator`.

All you people who make viola jokes are really starting to annoy me. It takes much more passion and dedication to play viola because of all of the crap we violists take for playing viola. I think all of you should applaud us for our individuality, and our courage. Yes, it does take courage to stand up and be different from all of you conformists out there who play "common" or "accepted" instruments.

--A proud viola player.

"I think all of you should applaud us for our individuality, and our courage. Yes, it does take courage to stand up and be different"

Wouldn`t it be nice if the same was accepted for the male section of the woodwind for the younger ages (8-19)

"It takes much more passion and dedication to play viola because of all of the crap we violists take for playing viola"

It would also be nice if oboists had the same, as we are sometimes ridiculed for our sound and intelligence.

"from all of you conformists out there who play "common" or "accepted" instruments."

You cannot say all instruments are accepted, as there are arguements brewing in the flute forum, which is a very "common" and "accepted" instrument.

Basically, your section is just as ridiculed as the rest of us. The violists are only picked on, due to their apparent stupidity. It has been proven on our ourchestra course, when the principle violist was asked what does "poco" mean, and being at grade 7 did not have the faintest idea.

In response to your response to me, in the years and years I have played viola, the only other disrespected intrument out there is the saxaphone. As far as the male players in the age group you decribed, it has been a few years since I was in that age group, and I really do not recall there being that much ridicule to those persons... However, I was speaking of views INSIDE the musicianship community.
As for your young violist in the 7th grade not knowing what poco meant, my 7th grade year was my second year playing, as it may have been for that young person. He may have not been taught the meaning of poco yet... Credit that to poor instruction, not stupidity.
Though it must be a threat to you to find a violist who can challenge your every so-called intellectual thought.
Though

"the only other disrespected intrument out there is the saxaphone"

I have not seen a saxophanist who is being disrespected here, in fact there ARE no saxophanists in my experience who are picked on.

"it has been a few years since I was in that age group, and I really do not recall there being that much ridicule to those persons..."

Right, and i am still within that age group, and things have changed since YOU were. We are referring to our own experience and disregarding that which the other has said.

"As far as the male players in the age group you decribed, and I really do not recall there being that much ridicule to those persons... "

As I said above, times have changed since you were within our age group, and we are ridiculed for playing the woodwind.

"However, I was speaking of views INSIDE the musicianship community."

And so was I.

"As for your young violist in the 7th grade not knowing what poco meant, my 7th grade year was my second year playing, as it may have been for that young person. He may have not been taught the meaning of poco yet... Credit that to poor instruction, not stupidity."

I am not referring to the American school system. I am referring to the British grading system of standard of playing. Grades from 1-8 which I`m sure America has too, he was one from the highest viola grade. To get these higher grade you must pass the "Theory of Music" exam - grade 5. He HAD to know what poco meant otherwise he would have not got to the higher grades. Also he is 17 going on 18, which I doubt very much is the "7th Grade" and he is far beyond his 2nd year of playing as he is in various orchestra`s with me. This was a funny situation which did NOT boost the violists reputation for intelligence. He later told us over dinner "I hated theory anyway."

"Though it must be a threat to you to find a violist who can challenge your every so-called intellectual thought.
Though"

I never feel threatened by anything, especially a violist in this situation. I am not giving out intellectual thoughts here, as I am basically describing fact. I would also like to comment on you poor use of sentence stucture, as you do not end an answer with a verb-less sentence without a full stop. There was also no need for the "though" at the beginning if you were to say it at the end.

I now retire from this thread, as I cannot be bothered to keep up a pathetic and petty arguement between two musical sections, which I probably deserve for STARTING this thread. However, there is no point to it whatsoever.

you go girl!

do`nt let the cattle bother you.

I agree totally with all of you. We have enough courage and individuality to deal with trying to populate a beautiful instrument. My Chamber Strings group at school has 4 violists including me, and about 4 times as many violinist and cellists. We also have to deal with challenges that never happen on the violin, take for instance vibrato, it`s much harder to learn on the viola. But for those of you striving for a vibrato on the viola, don`t give up! Remember, we`ve got something they don`t a C String and enough guts to play accompaniment most of the time. Without us, the violins would sound plain dull in a Chamber Group!

yeah i just wanted to say that there are jokes about every instrument made. personaly i play many different instruments (french horn, viola, guitar,...) and have heard all the jokes possible for band and orchestra and choir so why dont you give it up? you oculd play any instrumant and hear jokes about it...even the violin. so there

i soooo agree with you. i`m 11, in the 6th grade. it`s my first year playing viola. people do seem to make a lot of jokes about playing viola. i really don`t see why. if you think that it`s a weird and boring instrument, then that shows that you are just too afraid of being different and show no respect for music.

p.s. feel free to e-mail me. i`m very lonely.

If Abraham Lincoln was here he would probably say that "all instruments are created equal" as in a full orchestra needs every instrument for it to sound good. Someone said that themself was a PROUD viola prayer, PROUD means that you or violas in this case are the best and better than everyone, all instruments are equal and nobody is the best. Being PROUD is what always starts arguments.

Those are words of a wise person. It think it is good to have pride, but not so much that it`ll cause chaos. Besides, every instrument has its own advantages.

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! do you have any idea what PRIDE/PROUD/PERFECT means. It means that you are perfect, it means that you personally are better than everyone on earth at everything. Most importantly!!, it means that you are better than GOD, and sence no one can be better than GOD because he created us, no one can be perfect,proud or have pride in themselves or others, except for GOD/JESUS. Jesus son of God are both perfect, we are not because we can get sick, make mistakes at what ever.For you to be perfect, you would; just pick up any kind of instrument and play it perfectly the first time, know everything about everything, and you could literally do anything you want. No human being is like that.

Exactly who are you directing your most recent message to? But I must admit what you say is all true.

Pride is not limited to perfection. (if i missed something in the conversation, I appologize). I myself am on my 6th year of trumpet, and I am aware of our reputation for being rather egotistical, but this is for all instruments. Pride is what drives one to attain new heights in their chosen field, in this case, music. Pride is what keeps your head up and playing when you want to quit because you think its a waste of time. You just have to find the line between pride and cockiness.