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What Band Director hasn't had some girls play Trombone, Baritone, and Tuba? I don't think
of those instruments as being what girls normally would want to play. They are big, bulky, loud, heavy and just not
very feminine. It has been my experience that for some girls, the big, bulky, loud, heavy and the not very feminine
part of those instruments is exactly what has an appeal.
When I work with my beginning band students, I try to never label the instruments as "girl"
or "boy" instruments. What a mistake that would be. It is sometimes hard to convince some parents that yes, boys
can play flute and girls can play tuba. There seems to still be a gender bias towards some instruments. It has been
my goal to break that prejudice.
I can speak with experience for my students, Casey, Marita, Cathryn, Michaela, Kristen, Dana,
Natalie and probably 2 dozen former female, Trombone, Baritone and Tuba students. Size, loudness, and bulky didn't matter
at all. Playing those instruments was the allure. They told me that they looked like fun. The girls wanted
a challenge. They liked the sound and the power of those instruments. A common comment the girls tell me
is that they played those instruments because most girls don't play them. They wanted to be different.
All of these young ladies played their instruments with more enthusiasm and dedication than any of my other students.
Cathryn tells me that a girl needs to have confidence to play Trombone. If you don't
have confidence, you will get it. I have found too, that almost all of these ladies have wonderful encouragement coming
from home. I remember when Michaela was trying out her Trombone, her Mother wanted to buzz on the mouthpiece too.
When she could do that, she asked if she could try out the Trombone with her daughter. Of course Michaela was excited
to help her Mom out and show her how to hold the Trombone and move the slide. After they had decided that Trombone was
"their" instrument, Mom started asking me about recordings of Trombones. She wanted to start listening to what a great
Trombone sounded like so they could work together. I was amazed at the enthusiasm of both of these women. Another
memorable moment was when Maritza and her Dad came to Band night to try out instruments. After looking at the displays
of all of the instruments I had put out on tables, Dad says, "What instrument have you thought about?" Maritza says,
"Daddy, I want to play the Tuba." Of course the next statement from Dad is, "I don't think you have enough air for the
Tuba." I could see the sparkle in Maritza's eye that told me, "Daddy you have a Tuba-dudette." We got out a three
quarter size Tuba. I showed her how to buzz her lips. We buzzed on the mouthpiece while Dad watched in amazement.
We put the mouthpiece on the horn, I sang an F concert for her to try to match. She took a breath, set her lips and
played the note like she had been playing for weeks. Dad stood there, mouth wide open and shocked. "Oh, my gosh!"
he said. "I never thought you could do that. Play it again." Of course she did. I explained that she could
use her skateboard and a bungee cord to put wheels on her Tuba case so she could practice at home with the Tuba. That
closed the deal. Maritza went on to make All-Region here in Texas. She moved to New York and made All-State
in High School. But she had that determined, confident look that she was going to do something that no one
else could do. All of my low brass girls have it. They like it when the "girls" can play a passage better than
the guys or when they can play with a fuller sound.
It does take a special personality in a person to play all of the instruments. If you
are a young director, get to know your kids before you "seal the deal" on an instrument with a beginner. Remember too
that your beginners are 6th graders and they arent' going to be that size forever!! If a student can get a sound on
an instrument, and they have a burning desire to play that instrument, please don't discourage that student from playing it
because they are a girl or a boy. I have a sign in my band hall that my kids know by heart. "You never know what
you can do until you TRY!!" Girls make great Trombone players. My best friend is a Trombone player that happens to be
female!
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