I am really confused. My band director moved me to our top band as 3rd chair from my previous postion of 1st chair of the second band. *woot,woot* but he also told me i couldn't play my piccolo and allowed our last chair to play it. Everybody is happy for me but i don't feel happy at all. What's your input because i'm confused.

I went over the whole "chair" thing for a long time. But really it doesnt matter. The only reason I am seconed chair right now is because the girl was in top band the year before. The teachers know i am better, but still. Just get over it I think. Try to become the best player you can be. Have you ever heard of Helen Mcgarr? She is seconed chair in the Utah symphony orchestra, but does that mean the girl that is first chair is better?? PROBABLY NOT!!! Just try to forget about it. Maybe next year you can play piccolo.

I could have been first chair I guess when I was in high school, but I just didn't have the desire or attitude for it as well as wanting to have to take all of the stress. Plus, I liked playing the harmony parts as well, so second/third was fine for me.(the REAL first was also the oboe player, so when he was playing oboe, which was about 3/4 of the time, the 2nd chair took over, putting me in 2nd place)

By the time I was in college, nobody cared. At all. It was all about working towards your recitals and solos and so on. Ie - "It's all up to you now" with very little hand-holding.

Of course, that fit me just fine as well. I play because I love to and not because I'm trying to prove anything or get a job in an orchestra.

I was first chair in my high school band years and years ago, for all of my senior year.
I would have been much better off if I had actually had any realistic input into my playing ability, rather than just thinking I was something special because I was First Chair Flute. My band director (a brass player) knew almost nothing about flute, and our entire band was realistically at the level of a really good Junior High/middle school band.

When I went off to college (majoring in the sciences), I wanted to play in the concert band, so I went in for an audition. The director really woke me up when he told me, basically, that I was nowhere near the level to even play in the lowest chair in his concert band. I would never have got into any college music program as a flute major.

If I had spent time learning more, or taking flute lessons, in high school instead of assuming that I was pretty good since I got the solos, and I was first chair, (hello, the real world is out there!!) I would have been a lot better off.

I did get to play piccolo my senior year in high school, but I would have regardless of the chair because nobody else wanted to play picc. I played picc in honor band (from, I think, 9th or 10th chair) because nobody else wanted to play picc there, either.

In my local adult college level/community band (there's a local middle school/high school level community band, too) I am 3rd chair. Our principal/1st chair has been there forever (30 years or so) and gets whatever parts she wants, usually she plays piccolo. She gives me the picc part if there is a flute solo she especially wants to play. But our '4th chair' flutist is Juilliard-trained, and exceptionally talented.

Very often chair/parts assignments have something to do with who has been there longest, or who actually shows up on time on a regular basis, or who gets along with the band director the best.

I would rather play in the better band and enjoy myself personally. First chair, second chair or whatever chair is not going to matter in the real world when you get out of HS anyway. Just a thought. I wouldn't stress over what chair you are. Have fun with the flute and don't worry about it.

What exactly do you have to be able to play to join a college orchestra. i want to when i graduate but i know it is a lot of hard stuff. Cna you give me list of the type of music you played at your college audtions. Aslo could someone explain you get to to play in college ( for flute performace or flute choir) I know i'm probably just rambling but how big was the jump from HS to colege.

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Many people that are first chair in a music setting tend to let it get to their heads' and think that it makes them better than the other players. This is not always the case.
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In high school and also college, it was a little more laid back as we decided which parts we wanted. I always chose the harmony parts as that is what I was best at, having spent as much time singing as playing.(in orchestra and choir) So understandably, any time I could find a difficult part or harmony or whatever that the others players didn't want to deal with, I jumped on it

In college, this came to be a very good thing, as most of the ego-heads who tend to occupy first chair spots also as a rule hate these parts. So everyone wins.

As for college, here are a few things:
1: The professors don't give a damn as a rule about your technical skills. They are looking for tone, dynamics, expression... in other words do you play like a robot or can they feel some soul and a spark of creative genius behind the playing?

That said, you should have a few normal pieces to audition with plus maybe one or two non-normal selections to show that you have a wider range of styles than 1800s classical music. A bit of jazz or an Irish jig or similar is a nice way to round out the list.

2:Willingness to learn and acceptance that you are new at this. The funny thing is that I never had a problem getting into any orchestra that I wanted to because of my "work my ass off" attitude. The more your ego is in their face, the more most professors rightfully think "well, then show me you putz". College isn't a professional gig after all, so a little humility goes a long way.(of course don't be a wimp either)

3:Fully half of all college auditions are actually about it being a test of how you operate under pressure. Note how playing beyond a good high school level *(see below) isn't a requirement for a Freshman. They expect you to work and take lessons and so on in the next 4-5 years.

*Of course, you need to know the basics. Good tone and pitch, be able to play 3-4 measures without a breath in a pinch, know *all* of your scales and keys(not optional - it shows them you're serious going in if you know theory already), and of course, be able to read music.

i was first chair in the top band in hs as a freshman (i tied for first with a senior who ended up going to persue flute performance on a full ride scholarship for music) and stayed there until i graduated. it wasnt a matter of "im better than everyone else so im not going to practice" because i practiced a total of 4+ hours a day. my goal was to be the best in the state as a senior. and i acheived it! i won the state concerto competition, played in the state honors orchestra (ever heard of MYAF? thats the top 'thing' in Michigan) as principal part (determined on both an audition and on your solo and ensemble score).

our flute section tended to consist of me, 2 or 3 other very good players, and the rest of them (as in the ones who asked everyday "how do i finger a high F#?")
our band was known as one of the top in the state (receiving straight 1s in state festival competition for god knows how many years straight).

i remember a specific time my junior year. i sat first chair and there was this girl who was a senior and sat second. dont get me wrong, she was good. she held such a grudge against me because she wasnt sitting ahead of me. she even tried to kick my poor flute offstage, make me trip getting on stage, and even pushed me when i was recognized for playing a solo during our piece. i dont see why its relevent.

if chairing is done fairly, then it doesnt necessarily mean that a person ahead of you is really that much better than you. they couldve had a better audition. it happens all the time.

Don't you just love that "first flute syndrome"? I've been on the receiving end myself as well. When I first started in 7th grade, I was getting help from a sophomore in one of my classes. But when I started showing a modicum of talent she would do everything she could to hold me down, including not telling me fingerings and at one point telling me the band director said I couldn't play piccolo with her on something right after he had just told me I could. After her I swore I would never act like a "prima flauta". Just like when in our multi county honors band I actually bested the first chair from the year before. I was very gracious and tried to chat her up/make friends with her, but being friendly with her was like hugging a porcupine. I'll admit to a lot of jealousy back then when I wasn't first chair, or at least playing Flute 1 parts, and playing picc, but I never acted out that jealousy. I actually made friends with those ahead of me (its hard to hate someone you like). Its this whole first flute syndrome that convinced me to give up playing for the last few years.

For your situation, I'd say just sit back and ride the wave. THeres probably a very good reason he did it. It could be something like your band director knows the last flute players intonation might be better than yours (I'm sure you know how critical picc intonation is), or simple placement of the picc within the section. Or you could be a tragic victim like I was in college of a band director who wanted to spread the joy around and give "everyone a chance".

Afroburst, I never made it into a flute major program, but for basic technical skill and sight reading you MUST know your scales. Can you play an etude or exercise fluently in E major (4 sharps)? Or F# major?
Go through all of your scales and note which ones are weakest. Then practice them the most! And in lots of forms: thirds, arpeggios, etc.
And also spend time on tone and musicality, without these your playing will have no soul.

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The point about being fluent in any key is that if you are asked to sight-read something in one of these lesser-used key signatures, you will be pretty minimal in your ability to be musical with a piece if it is taking all of your brain power to get the right notes.