#that sax solo though...

[orcelito]

Honestly manga Midvalley and trigun 98 Midvalley are basically two different characters

Yea I wanna punch manga Midvalley constantly, but I also find him interesting & a compelling character. The times I've seen 98 Midvalley he just looks so sleazy lmao it makes me REALLY wanna punch him

Tough choices

[larkiethings]

being an adult is realizing that yeah the manhattan transfer version of birdland is not as good as literally any big band version

[lookninjas]

So I usually try to do music from a bunch of different countries on these playlists, but now that the Latvian thing has become an acknowledged running joke, it's time to take it to the next level. Also, while I dunk on the algorithm as much as any tumblr user... it really has taken my love of Citi Zēni and turned into a plethora of awesome artists that I've had an amazing time listening to. So I'm gonna just give Latvia some love here.

The game is simple: Pick a song from one of my bad descriptions. You do not have to recognize the song to pick it. Just go with the description that suits your mood. Feel the vibes. Vote, reblog so other people can vote, and at the end of a week I will make a playlist out of the results, from the song with the least votes to the song with the most votes.

If you are burningly curious about a song and don't want to wait a week, shoot me an ask and I will tell you what the song is. And if you want to hear the playlist (I promise you do), leave a comment asking to be tagged, or ask to be tagged when you reblog, and I will tag you.

Except I'm tagging @not-kaiva now, because you asked for recs that were similar to Bermudu Divstūris on the country poll, and I didn't really get back around to answering, but there will probably be something on this playlist you like, so stay tuned.

Okay, that's it. Please vote, please reblog, and please listen to something new this week. It's fun.

[bobbin-buckley]

That Girl Is Mine

Tara Carpenter x Saxophoneplayer!Fem!Reader

Summary: You play saxophone with a band called “Sweaters In Fall”, you and another girl plus three other guys are in it. You’re girlfriend Tara comes to see your biggest concert at the Radio City Music Hall (NYC), after the concert things do seem to work with you in the band

Warnings: Fluff, Cat-Calling, Little bit of blood, Pervert, sexual mentions, lots of cursing, some punching

Y/F/B: Your Favorite Band

Y/N/N: Your Nickname

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s the night before you and your bands performance at the Radio Music Hall.

You were very nervous, it was unusual for you to be this nervous. It wasn’t because of the people but it was because your girlfriend was coming to watch with her friends and her older sister Sam.

Not that you were scared of Tara being there, you were excited that the dark brunette and her friends were coming, it was just Sam.

Sam never really liked you, she had her suspicions. You respected that since after what they’ve gone through was tragic. This special night wasn’t just about winning an award to you but it meant to prove yourself worthy for Tara, you wanted Sam to see your talent and maybe she’ll like you. Maybe….

“Yo Y/n! What’s got ya all worked up?” Your bandmate Damien asked, he was a nice guy, he was a tall lengthy black man about in his middle twenties. “You’re not all pumped up like you normally are during rehearsal.”

“Just nervous I guess…” “Nonsense! You’re never nervous!” Kayleen hyped. Kayleen was your best friend, you guys were pretty close she was the reason why you joined the band. Damien and the other two guys were a little eh about another Saxophone player joining, but the raven hair just glared at them and had you join. You were the high voice of the group, the great Alto Sax player.

“Yeah, Y/N/N, you seem so low right now and you’re the loudest person normally.” Pip spoke, Pip was your 3rd favorite of the group. He was pretty quiet the majority of the time but he indeed was a fantastic Trumpet player. ‘Pip the Pipet’ Damien gave him the nickname, Pip hated it but he’s adjusted to it now since it sticks with him.

You all had nicknames, yours was Sexy Sax (boy you hate it but at this point you don’t care, Tara teases you about it), Kayleen’s was Sax Positive, every time you hear that nickname you can’t help but laugh a little. Damien’s is Damn Keyboard (idk) as he played keyboard in the band. Last but not least Dan…

you hated Dan oh boy, if you were to go ghostface he’d be the reason.

Dan was a creep in your opinion. Nobody else agreed though, he was just very…odd. He was an older man, I’d say in his early 40’s, he does have a lot of experience in jazz and band in general but he seemed off…every time after your solo in one of the songs you’d catch him looking at you with heart eyes, you’d catch him doing it to Kayleen as well. Eugh…you hate him

“Yeah baby stop being so low, your supposed have a high pitched voice in the band. If you know what I mean.” Dan said…flirted?

You wanted to throw up after he said that. Fuck he gives you the jeepers creepers.

“I’m fine guys I swear. It’s just my girlfriend is coming to watch tomorrow and her sister..isn’t quite found of me..” you rambled.

“Sorry to hear that champ. But everything will go great! Just…focus on yourself and not the crowed.” Damien explained, you have him a nod.

“Well, it’s getting late guys we should head home for the night,” everybody nodded in agreement with Pip.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a quick walk home, you hadn’t lived far from Damien’s house. Which is where you guys rehearsed most days unless the Blackmore’s band director lets you in.

Moonlight On the River by Mac DeMarco was playing in your ears, your saxophone in case swaying in your left hand as you trotted in the perfect white snow on New York’s streets to your way home.

You swore someone was following you, feeling eyes staring at the back of your head. You stopped in your tracks turning around to see no one.

Maybe it’s an animal or my imagination?

You thought

As paranoid as you used to be it’s been higher ever since you heard about the ghostface attacks. Tara always pushed you away when you met, you weren’t sure why until you discovered she was The younger sister of Sam Carpenter.

Eventually you told her you don’t care about some psycho idiot under a ghost mask with a knife.

It wasn’t long after you confessed that you really liked her and started the first date. It’s been a few months since you guys started dating, you both were happy.

You told Tara you’d always be there for her if she wanted to talk about everything or anything else that’s keeping her down. She appreciates you for that, but also doesn’t want to burden you because she knows you have your own issues.

Opening your apartment door, stepping in and feeling the nice warmth greeting you. You flicked on the lights with your free hand after slipping off your shoes and walked to your bedroom.

You sat down your saxophone in the corner of your room as well as your backpack, coat. Walking over to your bed taking the snow covered sweater and sweatpants you were wearing off. (I’m more masc btw so masculine wear)

Putting on a white-T with a sweatshirt over that has Y/F/B on it and throwing on a black pair of sleep pants. That’s when your phone started buzzing in your bag.

You grabbed your bag again and opened it to grab your phone, seeing that your one and only was calling you.

With a smile you pressed the green button without hesitation and pulled the phone to your ear.

“Hey Baby!”

You blushed at her voice and nickname

“Hey Tar, how was your day?”

“Not bad, just- some arguing with Sam. You know, the usual.”

“Sorry to hear that, what was it about? If you done mind me asking.”

“It’s fine love, it was just about me walking alone to school. She needs to grow up sometimes, I mean I do appreciate her safety, it’s just a pain up my ass all the time.”

You understood Tara’s annoyance, your mom was the same. She’d harp on you about being safe even if your taking out the trash, (though you don’t live with her no more)

Sam was always protective, ever since the first Ghostface incident. Sam has prevented Tara from having outside friends (definitely after Quinn and Ethan).

That’s why Sam dislikes you, she’s scared you’ll be the next ghostface. But Tara wants Sam to understand that she’ll fall in love at some point, and she already has. It’s you

You’re the lucky girl

“Yeah I know hun, hey tell you what. Tomorrow night I’ll prove Sam with my magical music talent that I’m worthy!”

Tara chuckled, “sure baby, you are quiet talented my musical girl. I’m excited for tomorrow, by the way, how was practice?”

“Good, Kayleen and the boys are hyped. I think we’re all ready, I’m just a bit nervous…” you said, biting your nails.

“Why nervous Y/N/N? You’re never nervous.”

“That’s what the band said..haha.” You paused with a fake laugh. “I guess it’s me trying to prove how good I am to Sam, and how important you are to me.”

“Honey, even if Sam didn’t care about tomorrow then screw her, cause you shouldn’t care about what Sam thinks. It’s Sam! But I know Sam will get your trust eventually she just has a hard time opening up,” you sigh, “plus I think she’ll love it. Sam really likes music if you didn’t know.”

“I didn’t know actually, but thanks Tar.”

“No problem baby, I gotta go Sam needs my help with dinner. I’ll see you tomorrow night! Love ya!”

Your heart skipped a beat, “love you too, see ya!”

You smiled widely after Tara hung up. You were going to prove your worthy for Tara to Sam.

Sam doesn’t realize how much you love that little feisty girl

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s currently 7:30

Your show starts in thirty minutes

Sitting on an old chair in the back room as Kayleen does a few more touches with your make-up

You weren’t a big fan of wearing make-up, but Kayleen insisted on you wearing some especially for tonight. It wasn’t crazy make-up, just some highlights and eyeliner, nothing punk looking but more casual.

“Cmon Y/N/N you’re our sexy sax you gotta look sexy,” you rolled your eyes. “Even Pip gets a little bit of a make-over!”

“Uh-what?” Pip quipped.

“…Annnnd done!” Kayleen exclaimed, “it’s your turn Pip!”

Pip groaned but gave in

“A-are we all getting make-up?” Damien asked.

“No, Pip just doesn’t get the option because he’s one of our big soloists! But if you want make-up I’d be happy to-”

“Absolutely not,” both Damien and Dan said. The raven shrugged and went back to work

“So Y/N/N? How are you feeling?” Damien asked, as he sat next to you.

“Better, I talked to my girlfriend last night and told about my nerves but she said I’ll be okay and other things.” “Awe, she must be a real sweet one.” You blushed as his comment, Tara was a sweet one even if she’s a little feisty at times.

“We have about ten minutes left.” Dan looked at his watch.

“Shit!!” Kayleen squealed.

You laughed at her antics when she jumped to grab more blush

“We’ve got time girl.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tara shifted in her seat as she looked around the interior of the Music Hall.

She’s never been inside the music building, she’s only passed in on walks, in a taxi or on the bus.

It was quite beautiful, the lights were pretty, the room was nice and warm and it was just gorgeous in general, it was a very open dome with a lot of people.

Sam didn’t want to spend a lot of money so they chose the middle seats on the balcony. Tara wouldn’t really be able to see you but the tv’s they had were enough to see your gorgeous face.

“God I’m so excited! Thanks again Sam!” Chad smiled bright. Mindy thanked her too.

“Of course,” Sam smiled. “Thanks Sam, seriously, you don’t know how much this means to me and especially Y/N/N.”

The older Carpenter smiled at her little sister.

“Up next we have our Jazz Band “Sweaters In Fall!!!”

When Tara heard your band name she perked up and watched ahead of her as she cheered with the crowed.

You and band walked up stage with your instruments, the keyboard and drums already set for Damien and Dan.

“Let’s meet our lovely band! Up first is Pip the Pippet! Our Trumpeter!” Pip smiled shyly.

“Second we have Sax Positive Kayleen!”

Mindy shook her head, “reminds me of Quinn sadly.” Tara chuckled a bit.

“Third we have Damien that Damn Keyboard!” Everybody laughed and cheered.

“Fourth we have Drummer Dan!”

“He looks like he’s sixty!!” Chad yelled. Tara didn’t like Dan, the stuff you’ve told Tara about him make her sick in the stomach but that feeling faded away once the guy announcing announced your name.

“Last but not Least! Y/N/N the Sexy Sax player!!” (Sorry not sorry)

Tara blushed when you waved a bit to the the crowed. Knowing you were looking for her.

“Let’s get this party started!”

~~~~~~~~~(sorry if it’s cheesy 😭)

You were at the last song of your album. The next song was more of something you wrote yourself. (Not actually 😭 cause that’d be copyright)

Tara cheered with the crowed once the song was finished. You eagerly searched for her in the crowed then spotted her a bit later.

You blew a kiss at her as she did it back.

“Cmon Y/n! We gotta go!” Pip called.

You nodded, taking one last glance in Tara’s direction before following your friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~

“That’s it! That was it my guys!” Damien screamed in victory.

“Eh it was alright-” “What do you mean it was alright Kay? That was our best yet!!” Pip cut off Kayleen.

You smiled bright once you entered the backroom. This was definitely the best performance you’ve had in awhile, and you were proud of that.

It didn’t matter to you if you won something but- it mattered that you did it. All you cared about was Sam liking you.

The band continued to talk about the performance whilst you put up your saxophone.

“Y/n!” You looked up at her voice.

Tara jumped into your arms with a big smile, Sam and her friends no too far behind.

“Hey babe! How’s you guys get in?” You looked over Tara’s shoulder, making sure no guards were about to run in saying they broke in.

“They let us in, I told them I was with you.”

“Now who’s this pretty lady?” Dan asked, he made your stomach curl and in a disgusted way.

“I’m Tara,” she said a little grossed out herself.

“Hey! Y/n, you can officially meet Sam now!” Tara turned to her older sister, motioning Sam to approach.

Sam looked at you with those ‘I don’t trust you eyes’. Sam scared you a bit, but being up close..Jesus you were more scared.

“Nice to meet you Y/n,” your eyes widened. Sam, Sam Carpenter being nice to you? She held out her hand waiting for you to shake it. “I-uh hi- S-Sam.”

Sam pulled her hand away and chuckled, “you don’t need to be afraid of me. Sorry for scaring you a bit, I’m a bit worried meeting new people. As Tara probably already told you.”

You nodded with a small smile. Tara was ecstatic with your first impressions on each other.

“Yo Y/n! You gonna introduce them?” Damien spoke.

“Oh uh- yeah! This is my girlfriend Tara her sister and friends. Guys this is Damien, Kayleen, Pip and-..Dan.” You pointed to the each of them.

There were some waves and hi’s

“Y/n, you didn’t tell me your girlfriend was hella hot.” Dan walked close.

“Excuse me?” Both you, Tara and Sam said.

“You heard me.”

You looked at Dan with hatred. “Back the fuck up.”

“Woah, no need to get all frisky babe.”

“Don’t fucking call her that!” Tara yelled.

You put a hand out in front of Tara, keeping her back.

“Damn, she’s loud too.”

“Shut the fuck up you perverted mother fucker!” You shoved Dan back, but it wasn’t long before he struck your nose with his fist.

You stumbled back, wincing and clutching your nose as it bled. “Y/n..”

“Oh come on Y/n, your worse than your are at pleasing her.”

That’s when Sam lost it as well. Sam punched Dan, you pushing Sam back to finish the job.

You grabbed him by the shoulders and slamming him against the wall. “I swear to fucking god! If you ever say any of those things ever again I’ll break your skull!!!”

“Hmp, I’d like to see you try.”

Damien and Sam both grabbed your arm before you got the chance to swing another punch at him.

“Let me go!!”

“Dan, get the fuck away! Go! You’re out of this fucking band!!” Damien screamed.

“Whatever, I didn’t want to be here anyways, I just wanted to see some ladies.” Dan chuckled.

You snarled. “Get him away from me.”

Damien and Pip nodded before getting Dan out of the room.

“Y/n-” “Let’s just go home.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How’s it feeling?”

You and Tara were in her bedroom. After tonight’s event, your hand was swollen and bleeding. Sam checked it and no brokenness to it, just some bruises and scratches, plus it’ll sting.

“Like shit.” You huffed, laying back on her bed. Tara already patched you up, it hurt like a bitch too.

“I’m sorry,” “no. I’m sorry, I should’ve just kicked him off the band way before!” You threw your hands up.

“Baby, it’s not your fault. It isn’t your fault he’s some fucked up pervert, but thank you for defending me.” Tara brushed her fingers through your sweaty hair.

“Anytime..” you smile. Tara leaned down to kiss you on the lips, placing her scarred hand on your unharmed cheek.

“I love you.” “Love you too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is fuckin cheesy.

Sorry for not uploading this faster than I planned. Weird shit has happened this past week

I need ideas cause my brain hurts and I can’t think of anything rn

[hellsbelflowers]

charlie dalton would thrive in the band kid environment!! if he was in marching band he would bring all the hype in the stands and on bus rides, and his energy would be so contagious

during band camp over the summer he would would wear crop tops and soccer mom sunglasses (and would be surprisingly welcoming towards freshman/rookies who are scared out of their minds and be such a go with the flow kinda guy in stressful situations and it would definitely help other kids calm down and have more fun. like older brother vibes)

even though the band director is annoyed by him most of the time, they would recognize how much devotion he has to his friends so he'd get saxophone section leader and lose everyone's drill charts at least twice and the librarians would hate him (affectionate) <3

in concert band tho he would get all the sax solos just cause he sounds beautiful on that thing

the poets would all go to his concerts/marching band comps (bc I love the poets supporting each other in all their passions even if they don't know anything about it) they would also be the people who cheer after the first movement cause they dont know + got excited for charlie (especially neil)

and he would absolutely ✨️slay✨️ in concert black is all I'm saying

[alt-wannabe]

MCSR Marching Band AU

back at it again with wildly specific au's based on the shit i do irl. i've been in band for 10 years (jesus) and marching band for 7- being the tenor sax section leader both my senior year of high school and now my senior year of college.

i had some help with this one from @s3er :3

more under the cut! warning there's a LOT

Nerdi is the drum major! He's in charge of conducting the whole band and specifically helping the center snare keep a steady tempo. He's reliable to a fault and is able to keep his conducting at the proper pace pretty much no matter what (or no matter how hard some of the band members try to distract him). He can also march pretty well on the odd occasion he's not conducting (usually during pregame) and he can do some pretty cool mace tricks. His backbend with the mace is practically all the way to the ground.

Fein is the center snare. He works directly with Nerdi to keep a steady tempo. Drum major and center snare are the structural support of the entire band- without either of them tempo tends to fall apart and the show follows quickly after. He's drumline captain as well and can competently play any drumline instrument (and a good fair few wind instruments as well). One of the band members who does DCI (crazy intense travel drum corps) in the summer.

Guard Section Courtesy of @s3er !

Cube's main equipment would be rifle but he'd also be extremely good at flag, sabre, and dance. he just happens to be the best at rifle out of all of those. during marching band season he would probably be at the front a lot of the times. his consistency, versatility, and experience would make him a very good captain and during practices he would probably often get stuck teaching freshman flagline because he already mastered his own choreo+movement and he'd probably be very good at that as well even if he found it frustrating

Fruit likes flag the most because it's big and colorful and fun :] but since he's so good at weapon that's usually the line he gets placed in during marching season. winterguard has more leeway, since everything is smaller he's more able to do his own thing. for guard, marching season can be very "we know what we want the guard to do this season, just do that" while winterguard is more like, if fruit comes up with some wacky trick they can absolutely find a way to fit that in the show. if there's a dance/gymnastics solo though that would go to him

Zye is a sabre demon and probably a captain just because of how much experience he has but he would do the least amount of captain shit. except that he would be very good at instantly spotting how someone is doing choreo wrong and or why they can't get something and helping them. he makes sabre look easy, like that shit is made of plastic and not cold hard death metal that wants to break all your toes and i hate him for that. he picks up on everything extremely quickly and can make anything looks fluid and effortless

everyone say tysm to s3er for these blurbs! the guard insight was def needed and also super interesting to hear about!

Fulham is a clarinet player- specifically bass clarinet if the band decides to march them and section leader (bass clarinet is the birch tree of instruments just look at it). Absolute GOD at drill- both teaching and marching himself. Everyone in the clarinet section is never an inch off of their dot (assigned spot on the field) and they always take the exact correct path w/ the exact step size between positions. He also helps the directors write the show drill on occasion.

Couri plays mellophone! Mello's have a reputation in some bands for not being heard- Couri is NOT one of those mellos. Not only does he play loud, but he plays WELL and if a show has a mello solo it's going to him. He practices the most out of the whole band and if you're looking for him before or after school you'll either find him on the field or in a practice room. Does DCI with Fein- they go out for the same corps.

Silverr plays baritone. Also a DCI participant but he's usually in an opposing corps to Fein and Couri. Basically all of the baritones I know are super chill (I share a section with them in my marching band). Silverr can play a couple of instruments so his marching choice can vary from year to year- baritone is the usual pick though. He's one of the stronger bassline players in the band and the directors try to have him towards the center of the field so he's easily heard by not only the audience but also the other band members. Always has his music memorized early enough that his section can listen to him play for a solid guide.

Reign plays alto and tenor sax. He prefers alto but if the band is lacking in tenors he can switch over. He can also play trumpet and that's his instrument in his drum corps with Silverr (because they don't take woodwinds). Altos have a reputation for being outgoing and he enables the stereotype. His section finds him easier to talk to than the "official" alto section leaders so he ends up fielding a lot of the underclassmen's questions. He pretty frequently gets solos if the altos are ever given any. (side bar for a cool alto part listen to the Miya Twins theme from haikyuu. The bassline underneath is supposed to represent the consistent and collected twin while the alto part represents the more experimental and wild twin. Sound familiar?)

Dylqn plays trombone. Has hit someone with his slide on a move before, will hit someone with his slide on a move again. The type to make a joke during an attention pose and get the people around him in trouble for laughing. That being said he's an extremely talented musician and marcher. The directors can almost never get mad at him for goofing around because when he locks in he's absolutely a pillar of the entire band. The thing about him being good though is it means it was absolutely on purpose when he hit Fein with his slide.

Mime plays tenor sax (WOOOOOO BEST INSTRUMENT) and is a section leader. His main skill is choregraphing out complex moves and he helps the directors/fulham with drill. When I say complex moves I mean like this shit where everyones walking through each other and one wrong step equals a collision (5:18 in this video. note this is DCI and not a regular marching band so this whole show is a lot more than the average band is gonna do). Not only is Mime good at running through them himself, he can explain the moves well enough that everyone is able to make the move safely. He plays bassoon outside of marching band.

Poundy plays sousaphone. Loves to brag about playing the biggest instrument on the field which is lowkey fair because sousi is HARD. That being said he has full bowled Couri over at least once. No instruments or people were hurt amazingly but the argument that happened afterwards was generational. Poundy is one of the people that has no trouble making friends outside of his section as he's super easy to talk to. Some people tend to stay in their section at band but he is very much so not one of these people. He also plays LOUD which is important for a bassline player.

that's all ive thought through for now but ill likely have some more thoughts on this in the future. my ass is STRUGGLING with fulham's d&d mini right now but trust it's in the works (his hair and glasses are not really in heroforge so im having to improvise to make it not look weird). hope yall enjoyed me yapping for the length of a feinberg post event essay

[bluehome91]

B.T. Express (originally named Brooklyn Transit Express) was an American funk/disco group, that had a number of successful songs during the 1970s.

The group was part of the "Brooklyn sound" of the early 1970s, formed from three players of the group King Davis House Rockers. The House Rockers were a local dance band who had released a couple of obscure singles (1967's "We All Make Mistakes Sometimes" on Verve Records, 1972's "Rum Punch") The three players (guitarist Richard Thompson, tenor sax player Bill Risbrook, and alto sax player Carlos Ward) formed Madison Street Express along with bassist Louis Risbrook (later Muslim-monickered Jamal Rasool), percussionist Dennis Rowe, drummer Terrell Wood, and vocalist Barbara Wood. They along with producer Jeff Lane signed with production company Roadshow Records to record writer Billy Nichols "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)." The record was shopped around to major labels until it was accepted at Scepter Records. Scepter suggested the group change its name from Madison Street Express, hence the Brooklyn Transit Express. The single was released in August 1974, and reached the top 10. Lane took the group back into the studios at that point to record a second single and pitch a full album to the label. Scepter agreed to the LP and to Roadshow Records having its own label within Scepter Records.

The first two singles were hits, both number 1 R&B releases and both Top 5 pop singles in the US. The album hit number 1 on the R&B album chart and number 5 on the Pop album chart of the US. These recordings were also hits in the spreading disco culture, "Do It" peaking on club playlists before Billboard started a separate disco chart, but the follow-up single sat for five weeks at number 1. They were certified gold releases.

BT Express released an album per year through 1978. With the third album, Leslie Ming was brought in as drummer and keyboardist Michael Jones was added as keyboardist. Jamal, who had converted to the Muslim faith, gave Jones the name Kashif Saleem, which he used after departing the group, in 1979, to pursue producing ("Mighty M Productions" with Morrie Brown and Paul Laurence Jones) and solo recording ventures. That year songwriter Billy Nichols and drummer Leslie Ming also departed the group. In 1976 Scepter records was experiencing business difficulties that soon ended the company, and BT Express was given a distribution deal with Columbia Records, which, though it gave them greater exposure, resulted in less attention being paid to their production, since they had so many acts to concentrate on. The group did not achieve the level of radio or sales success on Columbia that they had on the more nurturing but by-then defunct Scepter. They stayed with Columbia for five years, with Lane producing through 1978, then Nichols producing their fifth album before he departed for solo work, and Morrie Brown producing the sixth LP and several follow-up tracks. The group switched labels to Coast To Coast Records for the 1982 LP, to Earthtone Records for a later 1982 single, and to manager King Davis' own label in 1985.

[odillisea]

What instrument each marauder would play according to me and @whoahtherepal:

Regulus: Violin. First desk, first seat. Concert master and a fucking prat about it. Probably grew up playing piano and switched to violin later, and is the biggest sweat in the orchestra. No one wants to be first desk with him because he doesn’t have perfect pitch but he’ll still know and make sure to tell you when you play slightly out of tune

Marlene: Trumpet obviously. She’s the most stereotypical trumpet player ever

Lily: Bassoon, and she would be the biggest oboe hater as well because apparently double reed friendly fire is turned off. She could also maybe play euphonium but maybe that’s just because euphonium is a very gryffindor coded instrument

James: Oboe. Also later picked up alto sax and established himself as Terrible And Annoying but constantly playing Careless Whisper at any and every given moment. Possibly also trombone just because he likes the slide

Remus: Electric bass. He would mainly play it in a cover band with friends and does not give a shit about school band. He’s only there because James insisted (and because a certain heir of Black is there). Also even if it isn’t technically an ensemble instrument there is literally nothing else that he could possibly be and also we have an electric bass in our band. I’m so serious we thought about it for so long and there is actually nothing

Evan: Cello. Loves the instrument and initially picked it because Barty really wanted him to be the last member of his string quartet with Regulus and Dorcas

Peter: Flute. Not as invested in music as the rest of his friends but loves it nonetheless.

Mary: Viola. She wanted to learn violin but then she heard it and decided it was too squeaky and high pitched and liked the lower sound of the viola more. Wants to start a wind instrument so she can be with Lily and Marlene, but can’t decide on one and loves viola anyway

Pandora: Clarinet and harp as her main instruments but she also used to learn piano and still plays it from time to time

Barty: Percussion because pent up anger issues. Except he’s the craziest tryhard at so he would also play violin, viola, double bass, trumpet, flute, clarinet, and tuba. He’s that one guy that can play anything, but he would NOT be cooperative about it. The second that there’s other percussionists there he would ditch and go pick a random section to play with, but if he’s asked to help fill in to help with any missing parts he activates stubborn fucker mode and goes anywhere but where the conductor wants him

Dorcas: Euphonium and violin. First violin because she’s good but also the only one that regulus won’t be a prick to

Sirius: Flute. Sirius was actually so difficult because he’s such an electric guitar player, but we were trying to do this based off school band/orchestra, so this was our best attempt. He too would’ve been forced to play piano when he was younger like Regulus, and also would’ve had to pick a second instrument when he was older. Out of the instruments that his parents gave him the option of, the only non string instruments were flute and clarinet, so he went with flute. He wanted a wind instrument so he could be as loud and raucous on his instrument as possible, and decided flute over clarinet because it “fit his vibe more” (he saw punks out on the street with silver studs and spikes and jewellery and thought a silver instrument was close enough). He doesn’t really like typical band music though, and does not like school band one bit. He would be more the type of flute player that does solos in a jazz ensemble and somehow manages to fucking shred on the flute and sounds fantastic every time.

[enterprise-bee]

thinking about the two instruments I’ve seen people on the enterprise-d playing on my watch through so far and what they say about them, right, so.

first, riker’s infamous trombone. I think the thing about the trombone is that it is a nerd instrument. like yeah you can play jazz trombone and that’s very sexy, but also I know no one who still plays trombone as an adult and just plays trombone. every trombonist I know also can play trumpet, or tuba, or french horn, and also they probably can play sax too even though that one’s a woodwind. because they’re music nerds! and it makes sense! trombone is such a music nerds instrument! and I think it’s interesting because that fits him. he’s the kind of guy who cooks even though replicators exist. he’s the kind of guy who works hard at everything he does. and he’s the kind of guy who would be the trombonist in a band but could pick up any of the other instruments in a pinch, is what I’m saying.

but I also think it’s really interesting that the other musician I’ve seen so far is data learning the violin. notably, I don’t know if I’ve seen him trying to play it solo much—he seems to be a part of a string quartet, which is interesting given that a violin very much can be a soloist’s instrument! it’s also normally the melody of a string quartet. I think the most interesting detail here is that he seems to largely play classical pieces, and mentions that he feels he “lacks soul” and is merely combining other classical artists, because… classical music is ALL ABOUT building and iterating on the artists before you. it’s an interesting subtle way to say “hey data is more human than he thinks” that’s then made less subtle by picard just saying this that’s fun to think about. also interesting is… so violin is famously technically tricky for beginners, which fits data, but a violin is often a beginner’s instrument! this is because you can buy a beginner’s violin for like thirty dollars, and because learning violin teaches you the principles for a lot of other string instruments. it’s just being actually GOOD at it is very hard. which makes it as an instrument for data to try very interesting to me; why violin of the typical beginner instruments? why not, say, piano or guitar? and I think the answer to that is both “I think data likes classical music” and “violin is a very emotional instrument that can do a WIDE range of things, which is why data picked it over other options”.

this is of course complete over-analysis but I LOVE when characters play instruments and do music together. anyway the style of music that would incorporate both trombone and violin that I picture is in the corner of music that’s where jazz and bluegrass and blues sort of intersect, so that’d be fun. I think data should learn some fiddle playing,

[prince-of-red-lions]

I got bored in church today so I started coming up with band headcanons for the chain so here (sorry it’s really long I’m a huge band nerd)

concert band:

time - flute. he’s just the whimsical type to play flute, also he can go incredibly high and his fingers probably blur cuz of how fast he’s playing

twilight - baritone/euphonium. twi just seems like that mellow yet determined type, though he will get very aggressive if you call it a “mini-tuba”

warriors - trumpet. I don’t think I need to elaborate.

wind - trombone. wind is 100% a trombone kid- making jokes 24/7 and whether their funny or not is a 50/50. he blasts super loud to annoy everyone but he’s low key amazing at playing

four - four stumped me a bit. I’m not too 100% sure because his personality is rather complicated (hahahsrhjrjfjajajahz), but I think he’d play alto sax. he can play the others too; tenor, soprano and bari (ITS 5X HIS SIZE AHAHA).

legend - trumpet. he’d be first chair and extremely smug about it, though he’s so insanely good at trumpet. he makes a 3 octave instrument 5 octaves. he snarks a whole ton at the rest of his section and constantly has to put people in place (people aka warriors).

hyrule - flute. also very whimsical along with time. :) he seems like that happy type and just likes the flute cuz it makes a pretty sound. yes hyrule we love you for that <3

wild - percussion. so obviously percussion. he’s extremely good at everything in the back. he loves to double up on mallets (holding two mallets in each hand) and go ham. he can make it sound very pretty tho :) he can do fancy things with drumsticks and the metronome fears HIM. he also summons demons in the back of class during warm ups (very proud of him. if you couldn’t tell, I’m a percussionist).

sky - let’s be honest, he’d be in orchestra (what a traitor /pf). but if he were in band he’d defo play clarinet. very soft and mellow, and does the instrument justice. very attentive in class and definitely a teachers pet yet not to the extent it’s annoying. he just really enjoys being there.

jazz band:

time - he would play alto sax but would definitely do flute cameos whenever he could. he likes making the crowd go “WOAH! A FLUTE IN JAZZ? THATS EPIK”

twilight - I think he’d learn trombone for jazz. amazing at improvising and his solos are astounding round of applause for twilight 👏👏

warriors - still trumpet, he loves jazz and quite good at the whole concept. 10/10 he loves those high notes in his solos

wind - still trombone. he likes playing around with glissandos and very good at them. his playing is very fun and interesting!

four - i think he’d do piano despite the fact he has 4 saxes to choose from. a god at music theory and has so much fun with the piano. four’s fingers can stretch impossibly far to reach keys. that boy loves his soloing!

legend - trumpet as well. nothings really changed, he likes smooth jazz and you cannot change my mind. he’s usually pretty nonchalant about jazz but he secretly has so much fun with it.

hyrule - electric bass. he loves to have funky solo’s and makes it all look super easy. he can get super energetic and start having *too* much fun in which the band director needs to tell him to calm down 💀

wild - DRUMSEEET! my boy can really rock out on this thing. he really knows how to make the song interesting without being overpowering (sometimes). really good at making things pop

sky - upright bass! that lil guy loves his bass and rather shy with solos, preferring to let others do the solos. he downplays his 11/10 improvisation. which is stupid sky you are amazing at bass

extra headcanons:

time and hyrule would talk a lot in class despite the fact time tries to pay attention. those two have so much dirt on the rest of the band and they KNOW it.

wild and four like to go early before rehearsal to just screw around. whether it be remixing music or just straight up doing some crack stuff, they have a blast.

wind would help twilight with trombone since he’s still a bit new to it. even though he can be a bit annoying to the band, wind is a great teacher and twilight is improving a lot.

wind and warriors would be the evil duo of “who can blast the loudest”. everyone in the band despises them for it.

like I mentioned earlier, warriors is constantly challenging legend or just testing him in which legend blasts warrior’s ego everytime without fail.

more on the double mallets with wild, he quite enjoys making small peaceful songs or finding them to play. if you come early you can hear him practicing and his playing is very soothing. :)

like I said, sky would probably be in orchestra, but I like to think he does both. often doing cameos for both groups, as well. almost like the middle man because the band and orchestra hate it each other, but both agree sky is an exception and everyone cherishes him.

time is the president of the band. everyone loves time. the students and the director. he’s probably one of the best players in the band. extremely mature but in those SMALL moments he’ll do something devious.

twilight is also cherished by the band. he’s very hardworking and has adopted several students. many look up to him as he’s a bit more approachable than time. (time is scary to new people)

though warriors can be annoying, he’d never do anything purposely to screw up the band during performances or whatever. he loves being here even if he’s showing off 24/7.

four is really a jack of all trades when it comes to sax. everyone teases him whenever he plays bari due to the size difference, but no one goes to far because deep down their all scared of the tiny short gremlin who will start speaking in music theory language and confuse everyone.

wow, your still here? 💀 im concerned for your health and mine. really though, if you read all that, I admire your dedication and thanks for listening. there will certainly be more headcanons to come so if you liked this do not fret, it’s not the end. sorry this is so long and sorry for the people who talked in church that I shamelessly tuned out.

[hustlerose]

Sorry for the spam likes today. Favorite jazz album?? I saw a post on your blog that mentioned Mingus ah um. That’s either my fave or Birth of Cool (Miles Davis does do my favorite version of On Green Dolphin Street). Though both are kinda basic choices I want to expand my listening.

so i'm gonna give you a few albums (and album-adjacent things) with the caveat that i haven't heard most of what's out there ^_^ i'm just a casual fan

ornette coleman - the shape of jazz to come

this album is on another level. the multiple layers of brass crisscross each other, playing dissonant chaos, then they rip into solos that could melt charlie parker's fingers. the bass shreds and stumbles up and down some wild assortment of scales. the drums patter out a frantic rhythm that somehow ties everything together.

it shouldn't make sense, but it feels so alive. you'll catch quotes from flight of the bumblebee over rainy oceans of rhythm. herds of wild animals shuffle back and forth in a forest painted by jackson pollock. and then whoever's not soloing yells "woo! alright!"

it's not even my favorite ornette coleman recording. that honor goes to this youtube upload of a live show in germany, 1978. the bass intro, instantly picked up by the drummer, is so electric. the haunting melodies, borrowed from the rite of spring, are traded from sax to guitar. the whole band feels like they're operating on instinct. this is what a basquiat painting SOUNDS like. like a genius artist drawing with their non-dominant hand. LITERALLY coleman plays a violin left-handed at one point. it's incredible.

john coltrane - my favorite things

trane puts so much panache into this simple little pop song. the opening chords are heavy with drama. the groove is insanely tight. every time he plays the melody, it's got a new rhythm, to the point where he seems to be playing a game with the listener. "how many ways can i get you to feel this groove?" the song is melted, bent, and stretched like molten glass, in a 13 minute display of total virtuosity

and that's just track 1!!!! this album is timeless. every second is as fresh and vibrant as it was in 1961

herbie hancock - headhunters

herbie has always been at the cutting edge of jazz fusion. this is his definitive statement on funk

this album is intensely rhythmic, laying out catchy melodies over funk foundations. the whole band seems to just be having a blast. the grooves are often busy and hypermelodic, with no room to breathe as everyone jams at once. it's like an all-night house party in a bouncy castle full of confetti

if you're a fan of japanese jazz like caseopia, or jazz-influenced video game music, this album will feel shockingly familiar to you. its wildly creative synth work, uplifting and colorful chords, and eclectic sound palette are all DECADES ahead of their time.

where would we be without herbie? i'd wager the entire global music landscape would be different. from hip hop to big beat to drum n bass, we all stand on the shoulders of giants. hancock is a titan. the giants that raise us up are standing on his shoulders

[ad-hawkeye]

assigning the lbc boys concert/marching band instruments for my own sick kicks

a huge thank you to mello who aided me in this serious endeavor.

ayn: he plays piano, sure, but that isn't an instrument you see in concert band and especially not marching band. ayn is very much so a soloist, and you know what instrument likes to pretend it's playing a solo during a group performance? the trumpet. first chair. he's cocky and unfortunately he can back his attitude up with real skill.

alkaid: flute. first chair. practices so, so often. will take on piccolo parts because no one else wants that stress and responsibility. he's also the only guy in the whole entire section, but it doesn't bother him. though rumor has it that half of the section keeps fighting for second chair just to sit next to him. THAT bothers him.

lars: the council was debating this one for a while and settled upon the bari sax. lars has the vibes of both an alto sax player, and a brass player. so why not go with a mix of both? while not the first chair, lars can get serious when need be, but enjoys goofing around and playing meme songs during down time.

clarence: oboe. originally played the clarinet, but stepped it up a notch with the notoriously difficult oboe. though he will play clarinet in marching band to avoid destroying his precious (and expensive) oboe from the Elements.

cael: clarinet. just look at me and tell me this guy doesn't give off clarinet energy. beginner clarinets often sound horrible and squeaky, but by god does this man make the clarinet sound like the most elegant and soothing instrument on this planet.

mc: obvious 'insert whatever instrument you want here' joke. but considering her personality, if i had to assign an instrument, she's giving french horn/mellophone. that bold, brassy sound, but also with the capacity to sound beautiful and elegant when played right.

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Lou Reed - Showtime's Rock of the 80s, The Palace, Los Angeles, California, 1984

Since we mentioned Robert Quine and Fred Maher's 1984 LP Basic yesterday ... why not see what else Quine was up to 40 years ago? Apparently he was out on the road with some dude named Lou Reed?! Have you heard of him???

Famously, Quine was not invited to play guitar on Lou's New Sensations — but in an odd twist, he was invited to play guitar for the subsequent tour, which included this cable TV performance on Hollywood and Vine. A real time capsule, complete with a revolving stage (which Lou says makes him very nervous), awesomely 1980s editing/graphics and a somewhat overexcited crowd. Reed's Michelob Lite era, in all its glory!

But everyone has a real good time together; even Bob and Lou, though typically Quine doesn't crack a smile throughout. He does show off what he might've added to New Sensations, however, tossing off brilliant, wiry solos on "Turn To Me" and "My Red Joystick." But one can only imagine the guitarist's eyes rolling into the back of his head at the doof-tastic faux-sax keyboard excursion that closes "Walk On The Wild Side" (presented by Showtime's filmmakers in black-and-white for, you know, extra grittiness).

And hey, the great photo of Lou, Sylvia and Quine above is from (where else?) the always illuminating weaponsetc insta account, which any/all Reed maniacs should be following closely.

[lookninjas]

Pick a Song Based on a Bad Description:

.In which it's really just a blatant excuse to build a playlist around the new Dessa double single.

I feel like this was predictable, to be honest.

Pick a song, based on a bad description. Whatever sounds like the best vibes to you. At the end of the week, I will put all of the songs into a playlist based on the poll results, starting with the song with the least votes and then going to the song with the most votes. I'll also reveal what all the songs are at that point, but if you're curious before then, send me an ask and I'll answer.

I feel like two of the songs should be pretty obvious, though. Also, the description for one of them is just straight-up song lyrics. And the Depeche Mode one is...

Yeah, anyway. Look, I'm just really happy I can put Dessa on a playlist with my Daði Freyr and my Citi Zēni without a lot of weird mood whiplash, you know? The orchestra stuff is great, but it can limit playlist creation.

Vote! Reblog! Please reblog, because when you do that the poll gets more answers and the playlist creation gets to take on a life of its own, rather than me having total control, which is kind of boring, truthfully. So, again, please reblog!

And I think that's it. Have fun! I'm going to listen to the new Dessa again.

[irkimatsu]

Ohhhhh, Crazy idea! Husk and his S/O watching the Aristocats together and when "Everybody wants to be a cat", they're both dancing and singing along to it and Husk starts to sing the song himself! And Husk singing in that smooth jazz voice~

(I just looked up the song to refresh my memory, and Jesus Christ I forgot how much Scat Cat looks like Husk. There has to be some intentional inspiration there, I refuse to believe that Viv has never seen The Aristocats.)

As for the song "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat"... Husk would like to disagree, actually! =P He can think of at least fifty other things he would have preferred to be reincarnated as. Including "my own damn human self" and "let me stay dead the first time". He's not going to turn down a performance from Scatman Crothers, though! Might even have some stories of a time or two he saw him in concert, maybe even shared the stage with him at some point. (Husk deserves to play his sax as an opening act for legendary jazz performers!)

As much as he jokingly bitches about the lyrics, it's a fun song, and he can't help but sing and dance along. It's nostalgic, in a way - not the song itself, that movie came out in the same decade he died, but the style of music and all the time he used to spend at jazz shows, meeting new dance partners and having the time of his life.

...and then you get to Duchess's solo... you singing for him while his wings and tail stand at attention... he joins back in without missing his cue, though.

He'd love to sing and dance with you more often. Especially if I'm thinking of this taking part at the "awkward friendship" stage of the relationship, with this being one of those moments that cements in Husk's mind that he can't pull himself away from you...

[skywalkin-in-the-papes]

Newsies And What Instruments They Play - Headcanon

Hey there! Here's some Newsies headcanons that me and my pals @nycnewsgirl and @newsies-but-theacadianway came with about what instruments the boys would play. I added the details just to make it a little more fun. Anyhoo, I'm curious about what you think so feel free to agree or disagree or come up with your own ideas in the comments.

-Jack sings and plays the guitar. And Katherine equally loves it and makes fun of it being the most cliche way ever to romance a girl (which he definitely does take her up to the rooftop of the lodge and strums away on his guitar while singing to her. He loves the vibe and romance of it. She...doesn't always roast him.) He just enjoys the simplicity of his own voice accompanied by a guitar. And also, he can sing whenever he wants up on the rooftop and most of the time no one sends out a noise complaint. Jack likes to sing and play a lot of pop and country songs but he'll branch out and try new things if someone introduces him to it. Mostly, he just likes to play things that the boys (mostly Crutchie) want to hear or play along with him. He just loves getting to sing and play because to him, it helps him feel free and like he can do anything. Jack also will occasionally play harmonica because Santa Fe. Need I say any more?

-Davey plays piano and he can play most of your typical classical pieces by memory. He has the perfect piano posture and is fairly graceful and delicate. He likes to lead a group from the piano but doesn't like to play piano duets with anyone else really (ask Sarah.). He's actually really good at jazz though and likes being creative with classical pieces by putting a jazz spin on them.

-Crutchie plays mandolin and banjo. He loves to strum little folksy tunes and sit outside on the rooftop. Sometimes he'll convince Jack to learn the words to the song and sing along with him (oh who are we kidding? Jack 100% learns the words to the songs and how to play it on the guitar.). Crutchie is very chilled out by his music and sometimes he'll come down into the bunkroom and play songs so the little boys will go to sleep. He's a beast at the mandolin too (which is a feat considering it has twelve strings) because he plays at least once a day for awhile and Jack can't say no so he'll join in and then it'll wind up being more like 2 hours of play time.

-Race can play the triangle (yes, he wakes the boys who won't get out of bed up with it every morning and yes, they HATE it.). He uses it every time any kind of a meal rolls around when everyone is home (the boys kinda hate this too but not as much as the other aforementioned triangle use). At Christmas time, Race will play the slap stick in Sleigh Ride and will leap across the stage like a reindeer (claiming that it helps him feel more like one) as he slaps the two wooden 2 x 4s together. In a regular setting, he usually has both of these percussion instruments nearby. Race can also play guitar and he likes to play...any kind of music really. He likes anything that he can strum fast and/or hard to. He's not a very gentle player (which when he plays with Finch who also plays guitar, they play things that have an equal amount of picking and strumming). He also likes to collect picks and NO ONE can touch his precious picks without his permission. (Thanks, Nutcracker for helping come up with the last couple things for Race). None of the boys question it anymore because they've put up with Race's antics long enough that they know better.

-Albert plays barry sax and/or drums. He likes that with the barry sax he gets to be a solid presence but still stable and not have to do anything too fancy most of the time. He appreciates the occasional solo that'll get thrown his way but he just likes to stick to the fun low rhythms. When he plays drums (and he's not too busy hardcore judging Race for his triangle or slapstick playing), he likes to be a little bit fancier with the rhythms and he likes to be a little bit louder. He likes to remind people that he is there and he IS the stable rhythm. He likes to play any kind of rock or metal songs on the drums. Something that has drive but a stable rhythm. On his barry sax, he likes to play anything that's got a fun but stable groove to it.

-Les plays baby bongos(the Davey approved instrument) and trumpet(obviously the non-Davey approved instrument). He would never tell Davey this but(he actually enjoys the baby bongoes because they sound fun). He really likes to play the trumpet because it's loud, he can play fast on it, and it annoys Davey. The baby bongos are almost a little too small and a little too boring for him because Davey just teaches him really simple rhythms while Les wants to learn something more...intense. Hence why he had Finch teach him trumpet (Finch plays a lot of things.).

Speaking of the bird boy...

-Finch plays a lot of different instruments....like a lot. He plays guitar, flute, trumpet, and really any kind of brass instrument to name a few. He appreciates them all for the different styles of music he can experiment with. He spends a lot of time playing guitar and learning all kinds of different pieces on it but he really plays a variety of instruments for a variety of occasions. He likes being able to play the different instruments just whenever he feels like it (Jack had to tell him he could only play flute and guitar late at night because they're quieter). Oftentimes during a performance, he'll be running around the stage, filling in on different parts or playing a song here only to run across the stage to play a song on a completely different instrument. Somehow he manages to keep all of his different clefs and keys straight (just don't ask him what happened during a performance of The Little Mermaid for his high school. He was playing trumpet and picked up his flute and had the trumpet music in front of him and it got confusing real fast. Thankfully, Finch got his flute music and it was all good.). Finch likes playing with the other boys who play instruments as well as teaching some of the other boys instruments. He loves random little jam sessions and watching one of his friends achieve a new skill on an instrument (they all joke that he's the one going to Carnegie though). Finch just enjoys sitting in a tree with an instrument after a long day and playing while forgetting his problems, sometimes by himself or with a couple of his close friends.

-Romeo plays the accordion and some hand percussion (give that boy a tambourine and....well you'll feel whatever you feel when he starts playing it). Why? So he can croon romantic songs while playing the accordion. Does it work? Ummm..... Nah, he really loves it because he likes to learn love songs on it and he feels that the accordion is a very romantic instrument. He also likes that you get to play keys and push a lot of buttons. It's very hands on which is a good thing for him. When Race annoys (he doesn't think it's annoying but ask Romeo) the boys in the morning with the triangle, Romeo gets out the accordion and then things escalate into a noise war (Jack eventually kicks them both out onto the fire escape or something). Most of the time though, Romeo likes to play the accordion out on the fire escape to see if a neighboring apartment has a fair young woman who would be interested in hearing his playing. He appreciates how the accordion allows him to be flamboyant and expressive all at the same time while being his (in his book) most mastered attribute....romantic. As far as the hand percussion goes, he can be as loud and enthusiastic as he wants with it and nobody judges. He loves the tambourine (it's his favorite one) because it's loud and requires a lot of movement. If he wants to impress someone though, he goes for the accordion.

-Spot plays the violin. He..surprisingly plays some very pretty classical music on it (which Race totally makes fun of him for from the percussion section), folksy songs (boy does have some Irish heritage) and he likes playing as the violinist for groups who perform rock operas. His classical training enables him to do...so much with his violin. He started by taking violin lessons as one normally would and just playing a lot of different kinds of music which in turn made him a very versatile musician. The other violinists he knows all think he's amazing (and his reputation is something Spot doesn't let others think they can trifle with). Spot basks in this but purposely appears hard to please so he can maintain his tough reputation. He really enjoys the classical music as much as the other music but he can't let anyone know because that would reveal that he has a soft spot and Spot Conlon does NOT have a soft spot.

-Jojo plays ukulele and playing it takes him right to his happy place. He'll sit on the beach in Brooklyn (Spot won't kick him out because he actually likes the peaceful vibes of Jojo's playing) and just strum a song. Sometimes it's some kind of island song that he learned from the Internet, a pop song, or some kind of Spanish guitar song but Jojo thinks it sounds better on ukulele so that's where it gets played the most. When some of the younger boys are struggling to go to sleep, he'll strum some peaceful music to go to sleep. The other boys don't care because it actually helps them go to sleep better too. That and it's Jojo and the music is very peaceful. Sometimes he hums along but he's kind of shy about his singing voice so he mostly just strums. Once he picked up ukulele, he realized that this is the one habit which soothe any nerves that he has. He'll sit somewhere and play by himself and just enjoy the peaceful rhythm of his strumming or he'll play for others so they can feel the same kind of calm and peace that he does.

-Kid Blink plays alto sax. He likes that it's kind of loud but can do some really cool things and can be as smooth as butter. It's kind of an aggressive instrument but it can do some amazing things. Part of the reason why Blink likes it so much. He can play some of the punchiest melodies on the planet that are loud and biting while also being able to play some of the smoothest jazz pieces. Blink typically likes to play band music or jazz. He loves band arrangements of pop songs (even though he finds the actual pop songs annoying, the band version to him is a ton of fun). He likes to play music with Albert, Mush, and really any of the guys. He also likes to compete with Race's triangle and plays louder than Race so that way people can hear something more fun than just Race banging jingle bells on the triangle for the umpteenth time. He and Romeo then get into a "who can play louder" competition and...yeah, you can imagine how that goes. There's a lot of loud accordion and saxophone music going on. Blink likes playing smooth jazz pieces that sound beautiful and he likes some of the more fun and fast jazz solos. He's someone who really really likes to see how fast he can play so he'll pick something ambitious to play and just goes to town on it. He and Albert get into little who can play faster competitions and the boys cheer them on. Crutchie, Mush, Jojo, or Buttons will tell them that they really play equally fast but the boys don't listen. They want to WIN. (Except any of those boys most definitely can shred more than Blink and Al but they don't need to know that). Blink just likes playing saxophone because it's freeing. He can be as loud as he wants and it still sounds cool. Much like how he has a somewhat loud and outgoing personality, but he can do a lot of cool things with it.

(Okay, this next one might get really long because I love Mush and his instrument. I'm sorry but I also love Mush so I'm not that sorry)

-Mush plays clarinet and he's really good at it. He loves getting to play pretty jazz things, pretty classical things...etc. He also likes playing things that are a bit more loud and flamboyant but he likes playing quieter too and some of the more elegant styles. That being said, Mush likes to play just about anything as long as he doesn't just sit there and hold notes. He thinks that that is really boring even if the melody on top is really pretty. Davey loves to play music with him because they can play some really pretty duets and Mush typically follows the music or Davey's directions. They play some really pretty things that surprisingly will captivate some of the younger boys on any given night. Mush LOVES to play in the pit for musicals. He loves it when he gets to play fun little solos or the melody that the cast is singing. He likes the jazzy musicals the best because then he gets to bust out his jazz skills as well. And maaaaannnn, does this boy have jazz skills? He can do slides and vibrato and growls pretty well. Sometimes they go sideways and it makes him and whoever is playing with him laugh. Mush plays music with a lot of the different boys. He likes to learn new songs and styles and try out different tricks that he learns on his clarinet with these new songs. He'll play just about anywhere and at anytime really. If there's a girl he likes in the room, he'll just casually start playing from somewhere else in the room and see if she notices. Jack will periodically kick him out to the fire escape at night if there is some peace and quiet needed in the lodging house. He'll just sit on his bunk(which is a top one for the sake of this headcanon) and casually swing his legs back and forth while he's playing. But seriously, he'll play just about anywhere. He can play really high notes on his clarinet and sometimes that's more effective in getting the boys to be quiet than shouting or whistling at them because high notes on a clarinet are super loud (Skittery hates it when this happens and it's not in a piece of music). Mush likes to play in a little jazz combo with Finch, Albert, Skittery, Davey, and sometimes Crutchie or Jack. They have a ton of fun playing little jazz songs from the 30s but they usually do that when the littles are out for the night so that they can just enjoy their music. Blink and Mush also play a lot of music together because they both play woodwinds (yes, I'm aware that sax is also technically a brass instrument) and they play jazz songs and all kinds of things. Sometimes Blink joins in on the little jazz combo when he has free time to do so and he and Mush will trade solos back and forth just for fun. Mush and Finch play together a lot too and they also would trade solos back and forth (Finch plays a variety of instruments that go well with Mush's clarinet so it would depend on the day and his mood what he's playing). Mush plays in a lot of different groups when he has time and similar to Finch, has a pretty well rounded musical skill set.

Also, I did actually write something on Wattpad where Mush plays clarinet: https://www.wattpad.com/1116924147-life-with-the-newsies-one-shots-open-to-ocs-all

It's a 20s AU oneshot and I had a blast writing it. I am hoping to write some more for him in the future.

-Skittery plays drums and double bass/bass guitar. He likes the drums because he can hold down the rhythm but it also helps him get out any...frustrations. He really likes rock and metal music for this reason because he can hit the drums as hard and fast as he wants and no one's complaining as long as it sounds cool. He sometimes will play bass guitar but only in a more chill setting. He enjoys getting to play some cool bass solo every once in awhile in some kind of fancy rock song. Bass can get really gritty and Skittery can really let some of his more negative emotions just get lost in the bass solos. He also will play double bass in orchestral or jazz music. Orchestral music is something that Skittery....tolerates. He just...for some reason doesn't find it very interesting. He LOVES jazz though because he can play some fun and fast jazz solos. He also likes that they don't sound as gritty but that his jazz solos can just be so...pleasant to play. Again, it really helps him get out of his crappy mood (even though he'll deny it) to just go to town on some kind of jazz song where he gets to go all over the bass' register. Skittery likes things (and he would never admit this) that are just...fun to play on an emotional level because they really do make him happy. He doesn't like to stick out but he likes to have his moments of fun and he likes to hold down a reliable rhythm that people can count on.

-Buttons plays the banjo. He honestly love the more...rustic sound of it. He enjoys playing fast folk songs but he'll also play a soothing ballad and get into it just the same. Buttons can finger pick across the fret board of a banjo quite well and aspires to be like some of the great bluegrass players someday (seriously, just look at this man's Spotify Wrapped. It's all FOLK). He and Crutchie, Jack, or Finch will sometimes play together. Buttons also really enjoys Southern Gospel music so he'll play that too sometimes. He just enjoys all of the things that a banjo can do and yet, it feels so simple because it's all on one instrument. It can add a lot but it's still simple and can stand up on it's own, much like himself.

(Can you tell that I like things to have deeper meanings? These all end with these instruments relating to the boys in some way).

-Elmer is Buttons' (and sometimes Crutchie's) folksy partner in crime with his fiddle/violin. These two will play together for HOURS. Elmer and Buttons have learned all of the folk songs together and they both know all of the little solos that make those songs sound the way that they should. Elmer also will play classical music and periodically a pop song or two, but folk is really where his heart's at. He has played jazz occasionally and enjoys it too. Elmer loves violin because it sticks out in the group. It's also something pretty unique in and of itself (even though Skittery literally tells him it's the most POPULAR string instrument. Yes, Elmer gets very passionate about that topic.) and Elmer just really likes its versatility. He primarily uses it for folk music but he enjoys having an instrument that meshes well with a lot of different styles. He likes being able to blend in and stick out all the same. He wants his moments of solo time to shine and to be heard but, he wants others to be heard too.

-Specs plays tenor sax. He loves how low and mellow it is. He can play some pretty things that stick out but, he prefers to keep things smooth and chill. He and Finch will play together a lot to just sort of jam. Specs like just getting to vibe and play smooth jazz music or pop songs. Most of the time, he prefers really chill and slow jazz. He finds it soothing and it gives him a chance to stand out without overdoing things too much. He particularly likes French sounding jazz because it has a lot of smooth and pretty tenor saxophone in it. He loves getting to sustain notes down in that lower register just because they sound absolutely reassuring. He finds it easy to lose himself in music like that. This boys absolutely LOVES to play gentle soft jazz when it's raining outside. Like he just loves the rainy jazz vibes that tenor sax allows him to experience. He's not the most vibey person but this gives him all the feels for sure. He also has a lot of fun playing more energetic music though and will play some fun solos in more exciting swing music songs (and he will sometimes prove to the boys that yes he CAN in fact solo and keep up with the rest of them and he doesn't prefer to stick in the background all the time...). The smoother jazz is more relaxing to him and it allows him to play things that he wants to play without it always being chaotic and loud (even though he plays a notoriously loud instrument) because he enjoys getting to have his moments but he prefers them to be more chill and relaxing, just like he is most of the time. Being slow and more relaxed calms the anxiety that he has about always having to...perform well and allows him to just be himself.

(Yeah, sorry if that was a crappy ending on that one. I feel like some of these background Newsies are all starting to seem the same even if they're very different people.)

And last but not least....

-Henry plays the cello and takes it VERY SERIOUSLY. He's the kind of guy that people play to have Pachelbel's Canon in D at their wedding. Yeah, that's Henry. For some reason, holding half notes to him isn't super boring. He's very particular about his music and will really only play classical music (no seriously, he low-key scoffs at any of the boys who play jazz). He also practices for HOURS a day because he wants to be the best at what he does. Like the absolute best. He plays in nearly every orchestra that he can try out for and he tries to learn ambitious solos. He gets really cranky if he can't find a quiet place to practice in the Lodge where he KNOWS he won't be interrupted. The only people he will sometimes play music with is Davey or Elmer. They're and I quote "the only ones who appreciate classical music enough" (even though Mush, Finch, and Skittery also play classical music. He's tried playing with each of them before...and well. And yeah, don't even ask about Race.). He will sometimes even give both of them the stink eye just because they've been and I quote again "tainted by jazz". He chills out though once he starts playing his music. He just gets lost in it. He's the kind of guy who will talk about one gorgeous chord for a literal ten minutes (and I mean...he's not wrong because it is a beautiful chord.) and the other boys are just nodding their heads. Henry likes the cello because he can be precise and expressive. It allows him to be very present but still allows him to play in a way that is very precise and makes his style well voiced, much like he carries himself.

Alright that's the end.

PSYCH

I'm throwing in a bonus. Merry Christmas!

No actually, Merry Christmas! I'm writing this on Christmas.

Well parts of it, this has been a work in progress for months now but I think I'm finally finishing it. Hectic semester and all that.

-Mike and Ike play marimba and xylophone respectively (and yes, those are different instruments and no, don't tell them they're the same because they may actually fight you. If you really wanna know, ask Race.). They love to play songs together and bounce different rhythms and melodies off each other. They'll play just about anything and they absolutely love songs where they can just go crazy. They work together (periodically even their music wars against each other's but who does that surprise?) and despite their...occasional disagreements, have a ton of fun. The faster they play and the more energetic they can be, the more they feel like themselves. They love sometimes even switching instruments mid-song or playing one song on the same instruments. Their feats are unmatched by the other percussionists within the Lodge because they are 100% the legendary dynamic duo. They enjoy the energy that they get from playing their instruments and the joy that they get by playing together.

Alright, I'm done for real. Merry Christmas, you guys! Hope you have a wonderful day!