Drake's band crisis

[✡]

So...I play the trumpet for school. Thing is I'm not that good at it. That really isn't my problem, I'm not good at it because I just don't like the trumpet. Yet for some reason I've been forced to play it at school and in the high school *shudder* marching band.
Marching band is one of those things that really does get on my nerves. My mom put me in the band in freshman year as a way to make friends and experience something new. Now that I can understand, but time and time again I've told her (after freshman year) that I really don't like marching band. Why don't I like it? I just don't fit in. I'm one of the worst performers in the band, the band is basically ruled by a tight and exclusive group of people (a clique if you will), and the band leaders aren't exactly fond of me.
I've told my mom all of these problems but she won't let me quit playing music until I graduate this year (though my dad did say something about forcing me to do the college marching band). I even have been sent back to one of the lower music classes because I flubbed my audition because of extreme nerves.
How can I quit something I hate so much?

[Puncia]

Maybe you can ask your teacher? Tell him or her that you just don't really feel like you fit in and try to sound mature about it. Explain the situation.

If you have your teacher to back you up, I'm sure your parents will understand.

[✡]

Maybe you can ask your teacher? Tell him or her that you just don't really feel like you fit in and try to sound mature about it. Explain the situation.

If you have your teacher to back you up, I'm sure your parents will understand.

that's one of the people who i noted "isn't too fond of me" he wouldn't back me up on anything ever. usually he picks out what i'm doing wrong to show i'm a bad example to the freshmen

[Puncia]

So he would refuse to help you and force you to stay so he can mock you?

[✡]

So he would refuse to help you and force you to stay so he can mock you?

preeetyyyyy much.

[Puncia]

Then take that to the school board or something. That's illegal.

[✡]

the school board here exists to screw the student body over as much as possible

today was spent being insulted by the band director again

[Puncia]

Well I know very little about your school system so it's hard to think of something real clever but you really should try and do something if things are like this. I'm sure someone somewhere exist to help students in an honest way?

[josh_down]

i'll be honest, i was in near enough the exact same situation as you when i was 14... got forced to play in all the school's jazz bands cause i played saxophone... and hated it. right now though, my own band are releasing their first album and building up for a few big gigs.

when i was 16, i noticed out of the corner of my eyes that there was one of the pieces we were playing in the band was on one of my dad's cds. cause i had nothing better to do i listened to it. and that was the first time i ever heard john coltrane;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1GrP6thz-k

i always thought that saxophones were for squares and so i hated it. then i heard the saxophone played like this... listened to the entire album right the way through. then i genuinely started to enjoy it, until eventually before i know it i'm leading and composing for my own band, releasing albums and playing gigs. wow, that was only 4 years ago... a 5th. scary.


i'm not trying to make you love the trumpet and do what i did or anything, but i think you could do with listening to some trumpet based music that has nothing to do with marching band (which -is- very square music);

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-ukzEBntU4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jFL1KuvSyo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxSFSdcGPLM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFXQqt84mFw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA0m5vfBHVc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fNtcDlMxdQ

may not be to your tastes or not cause i'm kinda jazz based in my life now. i'm not trying to make you love the trumpet or anything... that goes against my philosophy. unfortunately i can't offer any additional advice on how to quit something you hate. i'm sorry if this has been a waste of time

[Puncia]

A very good point. Maybe free will to explore the instrument is what you need more than anything?

[Aoren Deringer]

I still say you break in and melt down some instruments but I mean, you could just fail out O.O Ditch class, absolutely fail at performance, etc.

[Boone Zofox]

I'm really sorry to hear about your situation, and unfortunately parents do seem to have a lot of control over your life until you're completely independent of them. My only advice is to suffer through it, try using Josh's advice to at least gain some interest in the band for the time being, but maybe at the same time explain to your parents that your growing up and it's time for you to start making your own decisions.

Depending on your parents and whether or not your an only child or the oldest or whatever, they could just be generally concerned for you. It's not my place to say what your parents are like though. I just know mine have always been very supportive of me and have always just wanted the best for me.

[ArcticSkyWolf]

Although it's your choice to be in the band or not, try to get kicked out. But then again, your parents would be like to do better or something