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I have been waiting for the time to ask you this since band camp last semester. I'm going to ask straight up: Could I march percussion for marching season, and either percussion or trombone for concert season?

Yes, there are PLENTY 8th grade percussionists coming up next year, and only 3-5 low brass coming, but I have practiced many things.

Some just like 8 on a Hand, or even a watered down version of Santa Clara Vanguard's Electric Wheelchair and snare part to Double Beat. Granted I don't not all 40 PAS rudiments, but I do know most of them, but I'm sure that it will not take me long to learn the rest. I own a Vic Firth Slimpad and Quadropad, and they have helped me not to develop much of "pad hands." The Quadropad is built to be the exact specifications of a normal set of tenors, and it has helped me to develop at least some technique for the set. The slimpad mimics the feel of a kevlar heads snare. I got Electric Wheelchair on Friday, and I have sight read it over 10 times, but with no metronome, as I do not have one, but I should have on this week. 8 on a hand, doubles, 6's, on snare, the same on tenors, but with added ratamacue exercises, are the things I play almost every day.

I have wanted to march percussion for as long as I can remember, and I have drummed for as long as I can remember, also. I never wanted to play trombone, I just got it since my uncle owned one he never uses, and hasn't used since the 80's, the same on I still use today. I know the musical importance of Low brass, but I don't have as much fun as I did when the middle school played at their home games. I am not the best trombone player because I never really try to play, except on some days when I'm in the mood to play it. I would try if I only played it for concert season and percussion for marching. When I practice my percussion, I am devoted to it; I have fun in the process, whether it be watching DCI videos, videos of anything percussion, listening to mp3s of other lines, or practicing myself. When I wrote and gave you those cadences, it was to give you a hint that I could play and read percussion. I memorized most for Aztec fire by when the line played it. I memorized all parts of the cadences, and it is a part of my warm ups also. At the Christmas Parade, when my trombone was damaged after I dropped at the last practice, I hoped that I could play the middle bas because Cadarius wasn't there (also you gave me the wrong trombone part, 1st part instead of second.) The only reason I left it last year was that I failed 2 pass offs on mallets, but now, since I have had time to really practice, it would be easy.

All I ask, is just one year. If I don't like it I'll leave and go trombone, If I do, well I would want to stay. I can't wait another year, I have already waited over 5 years to at least try it. I am not very good at it because I have had to teach myself, and that is another reason why I want to play. I am willing to put 14-45 pounds on my back for 5 months, and then again if we somehow get an indoor program, competitive or not. I spent $60 on a PAS membership in February, and I do not want that to go to waste either.

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C. just because I don't try 100% on trombone doesn't mean that i won't on percussion, for example, my mother worked as an ER nurse, and she HATED it, and didn't give 100%, but when she got t what she Wanted, baby delivery, and such, see gave 110%; also, my current events teacher, doen't EVER give 100% in my class, but when he is coaching the wrestleing teams, he gets Coach of the Year in the county.

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