Well hello again dear readers. Thank you very much for bearing with me in the large gap since the last post; revision, school and just life in general must, unfortunately, take priority over this blog. I've been pondering music recently because somehow it's managed to play and even bigger part than normal in my life. It's obvious to people who do a lot of bands and music that there are some very prominent stereotypes of musicians, especially those who play certain instruments. Well, in my experience, some of these are more accurate than others, so here's a list of some of the most astutely observed ones, and a couple I think could do with updating.
PERCUSSION - Almost all loud, proud and think they're God's gift, both to women (percussionists are almost all men) and to the band. The only two full-time female percussionists I've met aren't like this, but they do fit the final stereotype - amazingly proud of their instrument.
TRUMPETS - This is an interesting one. Male trumpet players (who are easily in the majority) definitely fit into the stereotype of loud, self-assured jokers. Every band has at least one trumpeter like this; thinks the world revolves around them and that they're never too loud. Female trumpet players, not that there are many - I've met four - are incredibly different from what I can tell: quiet and shy in general, but certainly loud enough when performing!!!
BASS - This is primarily aimed at bass guitarists, but can also be applied to any bass instrument or voice to be honest (including the bari sax): quiet, pensive, hairy and incredibly attractive... You can figure out if I'm joking for yourselves on that one, but personally I've always preferred lower instruments.
TROMBONES - OK, most anyone who knows me knows that I have a massive soft spot for trombones and their players, but this stereotype is actually so true as to be unreal; loud, egotistical heavy drinkers (a common theme for brass players in general) but with the added bonuses of lack of hygiene standards (spit everywhere, even on poor Sam) and a willingness to sleep with anything that moves - another one I've found to be particularly accurate (not from personal experience, worry not!)
[SIDEBAR]: Any instrument which can be pulled out in moments of boredom to form an impromptu Teddy Bears Picnic has my vote!
GUITARISTS - Everybody knows somebody who can play the guitar, and the general stereotype here is that they will whip out their geetar and give you a "tune" anywhere, anywhen. But to be honest, it's very dependent on the type of music they prefer and the person themselves. There are so many categories of music that guitars fit into that stereotypes for pop bands are different to those for big bands or folk ensembles.
SAXOPHONES (you knew it was coming) - One of the funniest stereotypes for me, saxophonist are considered laid back, casual people who are more happy to improvise than read music and would rather do solos than standard band stuff. In reality, saxophonist fall into two camps: those who fit this stereotype (Ben Vize springs to mind, and the lovely Tyler Rix) and those (like me and Hannah and people) who are perfectly happy just to play what's written and then sometimes complain when it's a little boring. So, the woodwind-like saxophonists and the ones who think they're brass players.
There are, of course, other stereotypes I could go into: string players, clarinets, oboes, flutes and so on, but I'm aware that this is becoming a very long post, so I'll limit myself to these few. Thanks for reading, I know I make absolutely no sense sometimes, but thanks for sticking with it.
And I've meant no offence by this post, it's just an observation. I really do love you all, musical friends. Even the percussionists.
