*SIGH* it's so weird,..i play so different in band and outside of band. when i'm playing alone..
TODAY i realized how LOUD i was playing lately with a forced sound. It's so hard to play when you're playing with the band sometimes..for me. I think it's hard to control..with my pearl. maybe i should go back to my gemienhardt when i'm in band...
do you guys use your bad flute in school?

<Added>

i play fine when i'm playing alone during a lesson...like a solo..

I understand what you mean about getting to know your band director, schoolgirl. An embarassing thing that still happens is when a student or even a teacher walks up to me and asks how "_____" is doing (a former band director of mine). How am I supposed to know?! There was a rumor spread around that he left because of me and he didn't want our "relationship" to become public. Now, mind you, I have had a different teacher and professor every year of my musical "career," but this was just too out of hand! There was no relationship, I was just the only one he understood in class! How awful... (Ok, now you know too much about me!)

I play my "good flute" in class because I get to learn about it better and, the more I practice with it, the more comfortable I become. After 2 years with my D.C. Pro, I still get nervous about playing it (why, I don't know) but practicing with it in class really helps me get to know it. (Just watch, like people; just as soon as you get to know your flute, something happens that takes you totally by surprise!!!)
Plus, if you want to play in a concert with your "good flute" but have only practiced with another flute, you might be thrown off by what you have to do while playing to get a good sound, in tune, ect.... Get to know your concert partner! There are people in this world who fix instruments as a living, so don't worry about breaking your "good flute" (but still be careful!) because you can get something fixed almost as easily as it broke!

OH! and another thing i learned is to BLOW into tune

I disagree with this statement. While "blowing" yourself into tune (I take that to mean that if you're flat, you blow more air to go sharper and vice versa) certainly can work, as you progress in your study of music, you will encounter passages where it simply isn't practical. Doing this, besides affecting intonation, will often affect dynamic level as well, and in a pp passage, if you're playing flat, you can't very well swell to mf to play in tune. I think it is a better option to understand that the angle of the air as it hits the edge of the embouchure hole will have the same affect (raise the air to go sharper and blow down more to go flatter), as well as manipulating your embouchure to control air speed. You can also learn alternate fingerings to adjust for pitch, though these generally (not always, but many times) have a noticeable affect on tone. As for using your good flute for school, I generally play piccolo in bands and flute in orchestra, but I always practice on the instrument I will be performing with. That may or may not be my gold flute, but to give a good performance you need to be comfortable with how the instrument will respond to different passages, and swapping one flute for another just before a concert will make it more difficult. Celebrian pretty much hit this point before.

Flutist06,
In re to blowing in tune....
I think that that band director was meaning more emphasis on the don't shy away part. I've seen where some younger players can tend to get afraid of sounding bad so they get afraid and loose their support. They try to play too quietly or hide in the fabric so to speak. It is very easy for some players to take the tuning issue personal for some reason when it is just another function of playing well. As an example, I was teaching a HS girl a few years back and after we played a few bars of a piece she stopped and looked at me as if I were some geek, jacked up her nose into the air and said, "YOU'RE out of tune!" Forget the fact that she was playing some wrong notes, this display of attitude introduces some attempt at social-psycho manipulation to the situation in that it is an attempt at showing that there is something flawed with my concept of music or my personality where in actuality playing out of tune involves two (or more) who are either not willing to compromise, not aware how to compromise or who aren't listening. At that point, I should have hit her soundly over the skull with the Manhasset instead of saying, "No young lady, we're out of tune. So... let's fix it."

As for "Getting to know your B.D."
In my few years past college, I've seen a few local HS B.D.s get into situations with students where they cross the line and get too close. This can and does ruin lives. It is absolutely the B.D.s responsibility to keep things professional and have respect for the students under their charge. Some guys loose sight of their professionalism when they are distracted. I can only suggest to students that they really shouldn't promote anything in that direction. Again, it ruins lives and careers.

~Bilbo
N.E. Ohio

yea, bilbo. that's what exactly what my B.D said. he said as young musicians we tend to shy away when we're out of tune and that looses tone quaility and air support..

oh, and i try to be friendly around my B.D but i don't want to get too close,..as you guys said. but i want to get to know him more, since i'll be in band for the next 4 years. I think it's best to just respect each other..
I try my best to respect all my teachers ..and they seem to like that

I would have been tempted to smack that girl with her own music stand, too! To me, if you are playing alone, like in a private practice session, then it's okay to be a little out of tune, but always tune if you are in a group (I know that statement is a little like saying that it's dark outside at night, but it's still good! )

I fully agree, though, that getting too personal with your director can and will ruin lives. I know that the director people thought I was involved with doesn't even want to come back now to the town because people will instantly associate his being there with me or something like that... Please, to whoever reads this, don't spread rumors! They are just no good in the end and CAN ruin people. We still keep in contact, but it is mostly music related, so neither of us will get in trouble. It's just stupid how jealousy can ruin something that was good and twist it into something awful. It IS the director's job to keep things at a safe level, but students need to know not to get out of hand... It sounds like you are thinking right, schoolgirl!

But, here is a question, when is it okay for a director and a student to change their "relationship," if ever? Is it alright for a director to ask their students to help with work-related things, like paperwork? I just want to hear some opinions on that, if anyone has any ideas, as long as we are on the topic of band directors....

Hhhmmm...my B.D is a really nice guy and he tries to help ppl...well, maybe TOO much. there's this one girl in band who no one likes, and she's always depressed. My b.D would talk with her a lot and would ask her to come during her study halls to help with her music. She's not a really good musician, so i guess that's why the b.d wanted her to come. ANYWAY, the B.D knows how she's depressed and he pampers her A LOT. my b.d made his own little nickname for her and all that. And that girl is really obsessed with him. Everyday that girl would come up to me and tell me something aobut him. Something personal...
I know that my b.d tries not to get into a relationship with her..don't worry you guys. but the girl is and it's kinda weird..TOO weIRD.
*SIGH*
BUT i know my B.D is a really cool guy and he keeps his distance. i know ppl who have crushes on him..(ewwww!!!)
He's used to pick on me in the begining of the year, because during marching band i would do a dance looking thing instead of the correct form of the command! :P..yea. but now i'm like a master at marching.
ppl would come up,,(like that girl) and would say, "hey i think he likes you"..i was like ....EWWWW!! STOP..NO!

some ppl i think...i dunno. i don't know why ppl have crushes on my b.d. it's really StRANGE at times.

>>"But, here is a question, when is it okay for a director and a student to change their "relationship," if ever?"

<<Not sure what you are asking....
The BDs job is to educate all students equally in band performance (instrumental music) and to provide entertainment at certain events during the school year. Any other functions of his position are left up to his contract with the school board/administration where he is employed. It is not appropriate or ethical for an adult teacher to have a social relationship with an underage student (remember that sexual relations with a minor is a felony in most places of the U.S.) and is also unethical to have a social relationship with an adult student. -(remember that the band director could be a college instructor as well.) This is often viewed as where a person is using a position of superiority in an unethical manner. It may often be initiated where a student believes that their grade can be improved by having a private relationship with the professor. I have seen circumstances where the University teacher has a relationship with an adult student and ends up marrying them. This is a bit different if it is handled properly.

Teachers in schools are treading on real thin ice when they even talk about sexually related subjects in school. So, if a teacher has any interest in keeping their job and keeping off the "known pedophile /sex offender" lists, they should keep things real neat in their schools. Otherwise they may get fired if a student even starts a malicious rumor.

>>
"Is it alright for a director to ask their students to help with work-related things, like paperwork?"

<<
It might be O.K. for a student to help with maintaining the band music library or to organize hand-outs and such but if it's work related paperwork like student's records, that's the teacher's responsibility and shouldn't be farmed out to students who are looking for brownie points or inside information on other students. Student records (such as graded tests -As an example) should be kept confidential.

~Bilbo
N.E. Ohio

That was exactly what I was asking about, Bilbo, thank you for your opinion...

a freshman like me, in a highschool band doesn't know a lot of things, ...hmmm..uhhh..
i'm..(heehee)..not sure if you wanted to hear waht i said about the girl and my B.D....ignore that!..that was kinda akward..*clear throat*...

i have no clue where this conversation is going to!:D...ehhh..

Your story about the girl and your director was actually what jogged my memory about my own director and some of the things that went on and make me ask my question about "relationships." I know a girl just like that, who doesn't play very well and is kinda depressed, and my former director (one of 6) would call her "smiley" and ask if she would like to come down for a lesson once in a while. He was a nice guy to her (he personally hated me and I didn't really like him, either) and she considers him to be one of the dominant male figures in her life because he actually made her feel like she was worth something. That is a good kind of relationship.
I can't really speak on the subject of where to draw the line between a professional relationship and a physical relationship, but, now that I look back, no high school teacher should "fall in love" with one of their students, and I know that it is illegal. But, a plain bond of friendship and trust is something, I think, that should be accepted and not thought of as being a prelude to a physical relationship... That's what got me into trouble in the first place!
Like you, I don't know where this is going, but I think it is an interesting topic that never comes up otherwise. It looks at music being the connection between people and how/if people should keep their distance (ex. students and teachers). I think it is interesting, but I can understand if people are uncomfortable with it (I feel just a little uncomfortable with it to say so myself...) If it informs people, great!

Celebrian,

A point of distinction,
I don't think that it is illegal for an adult teacher to "fall in love" with a minor student if falling in love is a state of emotion and not acted upon. It is illegal however to engage in "certain acts" with minors or it is at least unethical for a authoriity figure to use that power position to manipulate students for illicit experiences or their own otherwise personal experiences.

~Bilbo
N.E. Ohio

That's why I put "fall in love" in " ". I know that a physical act between a student and teacher is illegal, and I see nothing wrong with that being illegal. But, an emotional bond is something I see as being a, well, I really have no words for it because I think it is something one can't really discribe. It's a tough burden, like with anything, but it makes the people involved stronger in the end. That's what I would like to believe...
Thanks, Bilbo. (Are you upset by this topic? I couldn't tell through your post... I wouldn't want to frusterate anyone...)

the girl and the b.d was a GOOD kind of relationship. i'm just worried about the girl..getting too far with him. or maybe i'm over exaggerating this..i dunno. Probably i am. i shouldn't be talking about other ppl's lives.
*clear throat*
ALL I KNOW is that my B.D is an AMAZING guy that helps ppl become better ppl in life. He's a role model to our entire band...whether it's music or self-esteem..he helps in ANYway. (and keeps his distance at the same time)
*applause*

"Bilbo. (Are you upset by this topic? I couldn't tell through your post... I wouldn't want to frusterate anyone...)"
Heavens no. It's a subject that should be discussed in college so that all teachers maintain their professional relationship. Seems to be a fairly common pitfall though for some. ...males as well as females.
I only teach privately for the most part and this can be an issue in private lessons as well.

~Bilbo