Sometimes, I think life is like band class. Everyone is playing an instrument, and is in a section with the instruments of that kind. (People switch instruments sometimes.) What you hear the most is your own section -not only are they the closest people to you, but you are sort of tuned into them, so that you can stay together. You read the same music, albiet different parts at times. Second most prominently are the sections directly in front, behind, left or right of you.
When you first recive a piece, you have a hard time at first getting an idea what it is supposed to sound like, because the sections are not together.
Even though everyone in band can read music, trying to play some other instrument's music on your own typically doesn't sound too good. A lot of percusionists can't read the notes that well, and most of the band would be confused about the markings on the percusionists's music as well.
Sice the musicians can't hear everything equally, it is up to the conductor, at the front, to tell them how to play. This can take a while. When the concert comes around, the musicians sit on the stage and play how they were trained, everyone claps, and they leave. To the audience, it was a lovely performance, but the musician still hears his/her own section most of all. Unless there is a recording, they may never know their part in the whole.
Sometimes, there's a really crappy conductor. Many times, not everyone is in tune. But the band plays on...


Anonymous
10:28:18 PM