Band Questionnaire

Cafe Society
1

Please answer before looking at other responses.

  1. Did/do you play in a school band?
  2. If so, which instrument(s)?
  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally?
  4. If so, how long ago?
  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music?
  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite?
  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era?
  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male?
2
  1. Did/do you play in a school band? Yes
  2. If so, which instrument(s)? ** Saxomaphone**
  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally? No.
  4. If so, how long ago? -
  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music? Not really
  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite? -
  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era? Sure
  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male? Probably wasn’t viewed as ‘lady-like’ to be a part of a smoking, drinking, sex-with-groupies band, and this being before the feminist movement of the 60s, the men’s opinion won out.
3
  1. Did/do you play in a school band? – Yes, for a few years
  2. If so, which instrument(s)? – Saxophone.
  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally? – No0
  4. If so, how long ago? – NA
  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music? – Nope. I love the music of the 30s, but the big band music of the 40s leaves me unimpressed.
  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite? – Spike Jones and His City Slickers (the exception)
  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era? – Probably not.
  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male? – Fewer women were allowed to be professional musicians. The exceptions were harpists, singers, and some pianists (but mostly as teachers). Music just wasn’t considered a career for a woman.
4

  1. Did/do you play in a school band? Yes, both years of middle school, all four years of high school, and a few semesters in college – always jazz bands, and occasionally “wind ensemble” as well.

  2. If so, which instrument(s)? Saxophone – alto until 12th grade, and then switched to tenor, which I’ve played ever since.

  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally? Yes, a few different kids – everything from poppy blues-influenced rock to ska-punk to jazz combo stuff.

  4. If so, how long ago? Mostly in college (1996-2000), although I’ve played a few weddings as a solo act since then.

  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music? A HUGE fan.

  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite? Duke Ellington’s Orchestra. He had great musicians and was an amazing and eclectic composer and bandleader.

  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era? Oh hell yes, that would have been so awesome!

  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male? Sexist attitudes were prevalent to an extent, and many thought a woman’s place was at home raising a family, and certainly not out on the road touring with a bunch of men, or performing at nightclubs of varying reputations. Also, women were typically brought in as singers in front of all-male bands. I guess having a girl or two mixed in would have seemed as out of place as having a girl or two mixed in with professional sports teams today, considering male musicians would have traveled together, stayed at the same hotels and flophouses, and had the same “extracurricular activities” between gigs, such as booze, drugs, gambling, and womanizing.

5
  1. Did/do you play in a school band? Yes, in Junior High
  2. If so, which instrument(s)? Flute - my parents made me. I might as well have had “please kick my ass and take my milk money” printed on the back of my shirt.
  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally? Yes - guitar
  4. If so, how long ago? Currently - semi-pro mid-life crisis band
  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music? Sure - love it.
  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite? Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman - and if T-Bone Walker’s jump blues bands qualify as Big Band, definitely him
  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era? Perhaps - if it could be like T-Bone Walker’s or Brian Setzer’s bands…
  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male? For the reasons listed by the other posters…
6
  1. Did/do you play in a school band? Yes
  2. If so, which instrument(s)? Trumpet
  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally? I gigged and got paid for such in both punk and metal bands.
  4. If so, how long ago? 20 years
  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music? Yes, lately
  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite? Tough call.
  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era? I doubt it.
  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male? Gender roles and expecation.
7
  1. No, but I took two instrumental music classes.
  2. Drums, bass, guitar, piano.
  3. Yes.
  4. Last group was 1982.
  5. Yes.
  6. Les Brown & His Band Of Renown. Those guys could get down. I like them better than Miller or Goodman.
  7. Sure, if I could have been in Les Brown’s band.
  8. Well, how many all-girl bands were there before The Runaways? Back then, women were singers. That’s about as far as they were allowed to get down.
8

  1. Did/do you play in a school band?
    Yes

  2. If so, which instrument(s)?
    Mainly flute, but also clarinet, piccolo, and oboe

  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally?
    Nope

  4. If so, how long ago?
    N/A

  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music?
    Yup

  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite?
    A Calgary group called Mocking Shadows

  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era?
    Probably not

  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male?
    gender equality issues

9
  1. Yes, I played bari sax for 3 years in high school
  2. Bari sax…
  3. No
  4. N/A
  5. Somewhat. I like the sound, but couldn’t even name many of the old bands, just the really famous ones.
  6. Again, not really familiar enough to really have one. I just like the sound in general.
  7. Sure. It could have been fun. Although I wasn’t nearly good enough.
  8. Economics and the morals of the times, for one. A band would have had to pay for chaperones and separate accommodations for the female members. When you have one woman singer, that’s not so bad. When you have multiple woman members, it gets expensive.
10

Originally Posted by Zeldar

  1. Did/do you play in a school band?
  2. If so, which instrument(s)?
  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally?
  4. If so, how long ago?
  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music?
  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite?
  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era?
  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male?
  1. Yes, both high school and college.
  2. Reeds
  3. Yes. Worked with the Ray Price orchestra couple three years. Also many one-nighters. Some symphony work with the clarinets. Army band also.
  4. 1958 to about 1978
  5. Yep
  6. Woody Herman’s. Stan Kenton a close second.
  7. Hell yes
  8. No self respecting woman would get on a band bus doing one-nighters.
11
  1. Did/do you play in a school band? Yep. Played in the school band and quartets, trios and other excuses to leave lessons.
  2. If so, which instrument(s)? Alto & Tenor Saxophone mainly. Used to play the Clarinet. Trying to learn the Trombone now, though! Never ‘decided’ to play any of these, I always wanted a flute but my music teacher wouldn’t let me!
  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally? Yes, a 10-piece (semi) professional gaggle of musicians. Oh, and a drummer. Was brilliant fun and I miss them every would-be practice/gig night!
  4. If so, how long ago? Joined the band 2002, left 2005 to go to University.
  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music? Definately, sounds and feels more lively and fun!
  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite? Not really sure, tend to enjoy things that Glenn Miller’s been in. Musically, that is.
  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era? Yes.
  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male? Cultural stereotypes/barriers and all that jazz, certainly. Most of the really dedicated musicians I know these days are still male, but some of my fave er…sax partners are female!
12

1 Yes
2 Percussion (drums)
3 Yes
4 Current
5 Not Really
6 Really couldn’t say
7 Back then, definitely
8 A lot of bands are “boys clubs” with an occasional female singer, also, there seem to be a select few women that enjoy the band scene (onstage band scene that is). The few female musicians I’ve played out with, were almost without exception phenomenal players. Maybe there’s something to that.

13

Polling doesn’t really belong in Cafe Society forum, Zeldar. Just because it’s related to music (if you can call high school bands “music”) doesn’t really make it Cafe Society. I’m going to leave it because you’ve been getting answers, but for future reference, polls (regardless of topic) really belong in the IMHO forum.

14

  1. Did/do you play in a school band?
    Yes.

  2. If so, which instrument(s)?
    Clarinet.

  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally?
    Nope.

  4. Are you a fan of Big Band music?
    Kinda-sorta. I like it, but I don’t own any CDs.

  5. If so, which band is/was your favorite?
    Glenn Miller was good, but he’s the only real name I know. I also like listening to Brian Setzer’s retro-Big Band revival music.

  6. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era?
    Probably not. Could’ve been fun, but seems like a tough life (lots of touring) with low pay, no job security and no individual recognition.

  7. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male?
    I don’t really know, but most bands today (not counting classical orchestras) are still predominantly male. Maybe for the same reasons.

15
  1. Did/do you play in a school band?
    Yes. From 3rd grade (8 years old) until some time in college.
  2. If so, which instrument(s)?
    Trumpet mostly.
  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally?
    Yes. I played guitar (and other stuff) in a rock & roll band.
  4. If so, how long ago?
    1971-1981 or so.
  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music?
    Some.
  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite?
    Ellington.
  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era?
    Sure.
  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male?
    'Cause wimmens back there weren’t allowed to do much of anything.
16

Should have some :):):slight_smile: here. Just to be sure no one gets mad at me.

17

  1. Did/do you play in a school band?
    Yup.

  2. If so, which instrument(s)?
    Mostly French Horn.

  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally?
    Yup.

  4. If so, how long ago?
    Retired 10 years ago, after a 23 year professional career.

  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music?
    Yup.

  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite?
    Bob Florence.

  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era?
    I can’t say.

  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male?
    I suspect that it was a rough and probably poor life.

18

Please answer before looking at other responses.

  1. Did/do you play in a school band?
    Yes
  2. If so, which instrument(s)?
    Trumpet
  3. Have you ever played in a band professionally?
    No
  4. If so, how long ago?
  5. Are you a fan of Big Band music?
    A bit - mostly the fast pieces
  6. If so, which band is/was your favorite?
    No idea, but I have a Glen Miller CD…
  7. Whether you ever played or not, would you like to have been a member of a Big Band during the Swing Era?
    If I was alive back then, yes. If someone came up to me today and said, “I have a time machine. Wanna go back to the '20s and start a band?” I’d say no.
  8. Why do you think so many (if not all) band members back then were male?
    I get the feeling that being a musician for a living wasn’t a very respectable job, so women were pressured to stay away from it.
19

Message understood. Thanks for leaving it here.

It would surprise me if most musicians in professional bands didn’t get their start in school bands, and depending on where you’re from, some school bands play some fine music. Ever pay much attention to the Drum and Bugle Corps?

Anyway, I’m not arguing. It is a poll and any future ones I start will be elsewhere.

Thanks again.

Z