User blog:Taki-noboru-desu/Bandspeak 101 for people who are NOT band geeks

'''Hi fellow Hibike fans! :)''' If you're reading this, chances are that you spend an inordinate amount of time editing and reading this wiki. In either case, we thank you for your dedication!

Because the majority of this fandom seems to have little or no experience with real life wind band participation (at least not in America or Japan), I thought I'd write a blog post (since I'm a Chinese-Japanese-American band geek) to address a few things I have seen on and off this wiki that fans say regarding the Hibike universe... things which real wind musicians just don't say, whether you are in America or Japan.

1. There's no need to capitalize things. I don't play the Clarinet in the Band under my Section Leader with my Band Director, but I do play the clarinet in the band under my section leader with my band director. The only exception to this is "drum major," which is not always capitalized, but IS when referring to the person who is drum major. For example: "Our euphonium player, Drum Major Asuka Tanaka, is Kitauji's drum major."

2. Is it "band director" or "band adviser?" In Japan, band instructors are called "band advisers," whereas in American they are called "band directors." However, since this whole wiki seems to be for an American audience, we just write "band director" (just like we say "concert band"-- even though in Japan, bands are called "brass bands"). And on that note...

3. Band directors and instrument specialists are NEVER called "coaches." We don't use the word coach. Teacher, instructor, or adviser are all fine, but not "coach." Band is not a sport. We don't want to be confused with sports.

4. Competition, not contest. Band geeks don't say "band contest" because that makes it sound more like an indiviudal thing, when really a band's success is a group effort. So, we say "competition."

'''5. Clarinet player, or clarinetist? Flute player, or flutist? Trumpet player or trumpeter?''' Most band geeks will go with "euphonium player" or "flute player" instead of "euphonist" or "flutist." This is because the majority of band students will quit band after high school. Only those who pursue music professionally or as a lifelong hobby take up the more formal title of "clarinetist" or "trumpeter" or "euphonist." Until then, they are all just players in a band.

'''6. Song or piece? PIECE IS THE RIGHT WORD.''' Kitauji's concert band is not playing a SONG. They are playing a piece. A piece differs from a song in that it usually doesn't have singers, and is often more serious and musically complicated than a song.

For more info on terminology, please check out this article. Thanks for reading, and happy editing while we wait for season 2 to air! :)