What is like to be in the pit and not have to march?
what are your benifits and disadvantages give me some feed back? <img src="/threads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I was in pit my freshy' year, so i remember a little. lol uhmm....a lot of the band people who do march hate you b/c your not 'workin hard enough'. They hate you b/c you dont march. You get to lift really heavy objects and have people make fun of you if you drop it...(i did a lot of that) as u can tell, these are disadvatages. But for me the pros were you got to ride a trailer back and forth for contests and games....well, your feet hurt worse because youre standing still and not moving as much...i nearly busted my eardrums b/c we were so close to the BD and his freakin loudspeaker thing....you get to watch the rest of the band and make fun of them marching....good times lol....but hauling various heavy instruments manually is no fun!!

Well, there's a definite feeling of dissassociation from the rest of the band. While our battery was pretty cool with us, the rest of the band never knew what we were all about. Lugging the equipment is undoubtedly lame. Woodwinds had no room to criticise our pit. Of course, having shoty gear doesn't help, but I'll try to stick to some universal pit pros and cons.
PROS:
No marching (not everyone sees that as a pro...)

Don't have to wear hats. ( That's pretty sweet.)

Summer band isn't nearly as tough.

CONS:
Few people not involved in band know what your section is called, much less the instruments themselves. (Occasional funny looks from people while moving gear.)

The pit rarely gets any glory. (Never heard someone say 'That pit feature kicked [censored]!')

Phasing really kills pit musicians. ("Listen back, dammit!")

There are always move and move to add... It's very easy for pit musicians to become unfocused during a rehersal, many times they don't play while the band runs drill. Of course, many pitsters are razzed for being lazy, but from my experience, some are quite lazy.
A real problem with many pits is that it is used for "storing" people who can't march, double reeds, and people who didn't make the battery. This, in my opinion is really detrimental to a pit program. Anyway, pit is fun, and I'd encourage all percussionist to at least try it. But it's not for glory, that's for sure.

Well seeing i've been in pit for a few years now and now i'm section leader this year.

Pro's

Not marching during summer practices

Don't have to wear shakos

Get to jack off a lot!

Umm.. there are more just can't think of them this early in the morning.

Con's

Band usually hates us

Have to lift heavy objects

You are always the reason the band screws up drill.

If you don't listen back the BD kills you!!!

uuuuuhhh You are constantly reminded that you do not march!

Fall/winter practices you freeze your butt off!


Yeah thats just a few... i'll think of more later... But overall i love being in pit. For the fact that my instrument is there and so i'm playin' it! I mean seriously i would gladly march coz i love marching parades and stuff with cymbals but yeah we don't march bells/xylo's so yeah i can't! So pit is my place.

Staying after to set everything back up after a contest, already past 2 in the morning! Not getting to eat lunch b/c ur loading the equipment to go to a contest! yeah, getting ripped off suks!

I enjoyed being in pit. Here, the band looks at the pit as part of the drumline, so we didn't get any disrespect. The feature two years ago was an endurance tester for mallets, so we got even more respect. It was fun being in pit. You don't have to worry about marching. But being next to the BD's speaker sucks. I enjoyed it. I wouldn't give up snare for it, but I enjoyed it.

Pros: No marching, less time outside in the heat, more practices (I see that as a good thing), a variety of things to play, no hats...aka buckets (woohoo!), don't get yelled at as much by the drum majors, and everyone wants to be a part of us! <img src="/threads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Cons: People say we don't work hard enough, right in front of big speakers, louder instruments, wires everywhere, a big pain to drag the instruments onto/off of the field, more necessity to look down at instruments to play, the most freshman!! x_x;;

Even though there are more cons than pros... I still LOVE pit. <img src="/threads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well in my school the pit is always being laughed at or hated by people in band. Since the drumline is the only people who actually spend a lot of times with us since we are a family they know that we work hard even though we dont march.
Some people say we dont have to march but hey they dont have to be here 2 hours before the rest of the band to practice in a Saturday rehersal outside without any more help than the drumline if we get any at all.You do get to ride the trailer in contests and away games for us.You dont have to march which is like a small thing for us.Our lunches are shortened because we have to move stuff or we have a pit section meeting. In our home and away football games we dont get the 3rd quarter off since we are moving instruments!!!YAY.In contests we have to get our stuff in the truck while the band is watching the other bands and hangin out. Since sometimes the drummer get to the truck before we do they put their stuff in first so well we have to wait. We dont get to mess around much since our pit is strict well tries to be.

another bad thing for our pit is that for away games/competitions when we are done practicing with the band (other than having to get there two hours early to load) the band members put there instruments in their cases and leave it by our penske (trailer) for us to load. I remember last year when we started the whole. "The pit does not garuntee that every instrument will be loaded if you just leave it here and not watch us put it in." that worked for a week. but yeah it sucks.

That's easy to solve. Just "forget" to load someone's horn once. The problem will take care of itself.

benifits- umm not getting yelled at for bad marching?

disadvantages- I play a synth -_- and it's on a percussion cabinet and it's hard to push up and down and on grass or astroturf and the cabinet doors wont lock.. and all these wires..heavy metal things hurt when dropped on foot.. but uh..not being able to march?

I don't think being in the pit is very boring. Actually I'm rather used to sitting down and playing whatever random instrument(cello, violin, sax, or piano) since I play in orchestra the most. But ya I think marching is part of the fun of being in band. i don't get crap from other people in the band since i'm the replacment bass drummer so i march just as much as I'm in the pit since that idiot isn't there half the time.

Is having to lift heavy objects really that bad??? that it would be considered a con?

Honestly i don't believe lifting all the heavy objects is bad. I see it as more of a pro than con. 1.) It replaces marching. 2.) You start building up muscles and getting toned. I definitely know about that. My shoulders actually pretty much my upper back is now really muscular and toned. Pretty nice. Legs get toned up too with the lifting. So i see it as a plus.

But hey i'll learn the greatness of marching when i'm out on the field playing tenors next year. WOO!!! My dream come true! but yeah then i'll be able to name a bunch more stuff

I was sidelined onece cause of something I cant rember I marched tenors and I couldnt stand it I found it harder to play cause the sound of the band came late to me along with the drumline I hated not marching its harder to be up front to be marching I think

ok, well i have been in pit all through high school and now i am section leader. i bet i could think of some things.

pros:
your not out there marching in the hot sun, you do get to mess around more, if you are lucky you get to stay inside in the ac for most of practice, you get to play more than one instrument

cons:
the band usually does not repect you as much as they would the drum line, the drumline just thinks that you are pussies, as a girl it is harder to loose weight b.c we dont march, the blisters, and you male friends in the drumline quit thinking that you are female and think that you are one of the guys.

well other than that it is a complete joy. i luv it with a passion.

Well, I marched for 4 years in the drumline as the captian and now I play in one of the world's best pit's and I can honestly say that pit and drumline are about the same when your add up all the advantages and disadvantages. Pit is very satisfying because it is so important and I think that everyone has a part and when you put all of the parts together, it is incredible. Marching is fun and tiring, but not marching is also tiring. Your legs get tired after about 10 hours of practice in a day or weekend. You don't notice though when your are out performing because it feels great to be out there showing an accomplishment that everyone in the pit worked so hard to put together. I love pit but i miss drumline just as much!...Much love to all....