Bassoons don't fit on pannier racks

[farrellcollie]

I as you know most marching bands don't march bassoons, I.

I was so disappointed when I realized at the tender age of 14 that the song 76 Trombones had it all wrong:

There were copper bottom tympani in horse platoons
Thundering, thundering, all along the way
Double bell euphoniums and big bassoons
Each bassoon having his big fat say

[mary9761]

I was so disappointed when I realized at the tender age of 14 that the song 76 Trombones had it all wrong:

There were copper bottom tympani in horse platoons
Thundering, thundering, all along the way
Double bell euphoniums and big bassoons
Each bassoon having his big fat say

I think there was a time when they actually DID march bassoons, but by the time we were in school, they were so EXPENSIVE to replace bocals etc and awkward to march with. I'll never forget the disappointment and a little anger when I accidently bent a bocal and broke it I'd never seen my band directer that angry before.
My bassoon had the "hook" for a neck strap. I think by the time we played bassoon, it was very difficult to get someone to play the alto telephone pole. I was the only one in my entire class all the way through. When they tried me out on the 4 tones, I hit one, then the second, then the third, you could see the gleam in the band director's eyes when I hit #4 they gleefully said sign that girl up! Of course my one band director (now fellow cyclist) showed me if you rolled up a piece of paper and put it in the bell, you could play a LOW A!
Of course the running joke has been, Marlin still wet behind the ears didn't know how to play the bassoon and I taught HIM how to play. LOL.... He retired 2 years ago after teaching 33 years at a YOUNG 56
If I've told this before, forgive me, I'm still taking pain meds and I've been offline for several days so I'm playing catch up and meds are trying to hit too.

[farrellcollie]

I believe you if you say they did march with bassoons at one time- but what a waste - they would never be heard over brass and other woodwinds. Let alone the fragility of the double reeds.- could you go 5 yards with one reed intact? I played in some early music groups in college - great idea - the indoor instruments and the outdoor instruments.

ps. my high school band director almost popped a vein when, in my first week of band camp, I dropped my piccolo right as he was walking past for inspection. He bellowed something about how a piccolo was not a basketball - they don't bounce.