The final sweat from my performance dries and I’m left with the salt that was expelled in the process, leaving an irritating trace on my skin. Listening intently to the final band of the afternoon, I can’t help but be lost in the low brass choir performing in front of me. The graceful way the baritone glided to the high notes and the falsetto of the trumpet soloist. The music is carried away by a slight breeze and in its place comes the laughter, applause, and awe of the rest of the band kids that I am happily surrounded by. Adjusting my overalls that has given me what can only be described as a band wedgie, the soft, silky grass touches my arms. Suddenly a hush falls over the crowd as the drum majors walk across the track. They are dignified, standing tall and walking in a line that would make any marching band proud. A mass chaos breaks out, and each school is trying to out cheer the other as their drum majors walks by. I couldn’t help but be caught up in the moment and scream and clap as loud as I could as I watched my drum majors pass. Then it was silent. The kind of eerie silence in horror movies right before the climactic reveal of the monster. The anticipation in the air is so thick, I could almost reach out and grab it. It's finally time. Awards.
A hush falls over the crowd as the announcer calls the first class, which is how we are group together based on school size, number of members, etc. The next class is called and the next until it's finally time for Sullivan’s. I grabbed ahold of whatever was closest and grip it close to me, because at the point, my heart is pounding so hard I was afraid it might come out of my chest. As each second drags by, I was getting closer and closer to finding out what we made. Fifth place is called. Then fourth. Then third. My hopes began to slowly fade out and I hung my head in shame after we weren’t called for second either. But not all hope is lost because against all odds, we were called for first. Without hesitation, I jump up. I was screaming, clapping, and hugging any fellow band mate I could find. My heart felt like it was soaring right out of my chest. Once the rejoicing is over, a dread set in deep in the pit of my stomach.
The seconds felt like minutes
Most schools offer a variety of activities, classes, and clubs. I personally was never interested in school or anything to do with it. Then I came across band and was instantly hooked. Band has concerts, marching band, and you get to meet new people. Band is my favorite class and here are some reasons why.
The movie, And the Band Played On, discusses the origin of the AIDS virus and how it spontaneously spread across the world. It used the Ebola disease to foreshadow the forth coming of another serious disease. The world was not prepared to handle such a contagious plague. Doctors around the world assumed that the first cases of the HIV virus to be just an abnormality of a certain disease, their carelessness of this matter was the start to the spread of this disease. Throughout this movie, it illustrates different points, such as the beginning of HIV, the misconceptions it gave, and the panic it aroused amongst doctors and the common people.
It is during monotonous afternoons in the sweltering heat where one discovers the true limitations of his or her resolve. Remarkably, our exuberant group of approximately 160 members repeatedly managed to accomplish a new feat and set a precedent after every repetition. Much of this persistence I attribute to our band director, whose passion and resolution roused us to attain superior versions of ourselves. Often, he would remind us that “what was acceptable yesterday is not acceptable today”, a sample of his wisdom that prompted me to audition for the role of drum major. A drum major is essentially the foremost proprietor of student leadership within a marching band and he or she functions as a musical conductor during performances. Though I was not chosen at the conclusion of my freshman year, my commitment only intensified. I auditioned once more at the end of the following year and was selected. Suddenly, I was thrust into a renowned position of liability. My success depended on effectively communicating with individuals unfamiliar to me on a daily basis and defusing stiff situations. Stressful and tedious as I have discovered the role to be, it has bolstered my confidence and allowed me to acknowledge the mantle of leadership in a new
On a whim in fifth grade, I decided that I wanted to learn how to play an instrument. I had never thought about how important it would become, but it has become a primary part of my life. I think this reason starts with you. You made learning music more entertaining for 10 year olds who don't have the first clue as to what they're doing. Not only did you teach me the fundamentals of it, but you created a love for it through opportunities and encouragement.
“Roll those feet! Keep those toes high! Square your shoulders! Keep the tempo moving!” This can be heard by directors, in most marching band rehearsals, as the band is racing around the field while playing mentally demanding music. Competitive marching band, the highlight of some high schoolers’ fall season, is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a group of musicians who play instruments while marching together at a parade or sports event” (“Marching Band”). In comparison a sport is defined as “a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other” (“Sports”). High school competition band is where a band practices from July to November to prepare one show to be
The position of drum major is a vital role in the entire team of a marching band. As the 2017 drum majors we promise that we will have the band in mind when making decisions and when developing the best show possible. As a group we know that we posses the necessary qualities of a drum major.
12. Skateboarding and marching band might not seem very similar with alike characteristics, but you would be surprised how I train for both of them very similarly. When I go to the skatepark I always am there for over three hours at a time. This means that I have good breath control. If a random person tried skating for three hours they would be passed out on the ground because they would run out of breath. That is the same thing for marching band. In marching band I will be running across the field while playing blasting into my tuba. In order to be able to do something longer, such as skate for a longer period of time, you must do a warm up. This means that I can’t just go to the skatepark and start shredding. I first should do basic tricks before advancing into harder tricks.
We march on out to the stadium, the percussion player taps on his snare every so gently, with the flick of his rist he plays a beat and our feet roll in time against the pavement. The band looks uniform, like marching soldiers. People line up against the curb, moving their eyes with our steps, as they bend a curve on their face in joy.
What is your stereotypical marching band geek? Weak, thin, and clumsy, having broken glasses and always seem to be holding their instrument?
When I came to Highlands Ranch High School as a freshman, I didn’t know where I belonged. I had done soccer, but a concussion and several headaches later, decided it wasn’t for me. I had tried fully devoting myself to academics, but later realized that I can’t spend my life focusing on grades. I didn’t have anywhere to belong. Then, in the winter of my freshman year, I was persuaded into doing winter percussion. I had never played an instrument before and had absolutely no idea what was going on. I didn’t even really know what a quarter note was, no less how to count them. My freshman self was totally clueless and wanted to quit at first because I was so bad and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. But, I stuck with it to the end of the winter percussion season and when we took second place in the state suddenly all the long hours of rehearsal and constant changes were totally worth it.
Usually when people think of sports they usually think of Football, Baseball, Basketball, any sport that is widely broadcasted on television and sponsored around states and cities, and even countries; however, those are mainly the most popular sports. People interpret the word “sport” as a term that requires an abundance of endurance and energy, using physical and mental skills to further better themselves at said sport. There is a lot of controversy over whether high school marching band and drum corps is a sport, most people claiming that it doesn’t because it’s “elegant” and “more of a performance” still, aren’t all sports a performance? Coaches in most sports ask for the best and make a person work for their spot,
I have been asked many times by my friends that aren’t in band “why are you in band?” “Get out of band so we can be in the stands together during the game.” “band is lame,” They do not understand what band is really about. Band is not just about playing an instrument and marching.
Sophomore year of marching came. This year was a surprise for everyone. With our show being named ‘Masterminder.’ The band members marching were under control by the color guard soloist; the puppeteer. This show was pretty exciting, too. The judges also thought that. We made it past regionals AND semi-state. What? Yeah, we all thought the same thing. We had made it. We had FINALLY made it after so many years of just trying to get past regionals for once. It was a bitter-sweet feeling waiting for placement awards at Lucas Oil Stadium. The instructors went around to each band student one by one. The congratulated us on an amazing season. I started tearing up, but that isn’t surprising. As we marched our way out of Lucas Oil Stadium that night, I knew that this was only the beginning of a new generation for the Marching Marksmen.
Previously in the year, it was typical for me just write what is on my mind at the time and later go back and organize it. This paper is a stupendous presentation of that obsolete format. It was common for me to leap from one paragraph to another without soundly blending my ideas into the narrative. Despite this, however, many outstanding developments appeared in this essay. This was the essay that helped me further develop my ability to write sensory details, which immediately shows itself in the introduction: “Lights blare down from above. To my left, I can see the crowd cheering as the previous band charges off the field, and we prepare our grand entrance” ( 1). I also highlighted the negative aspects of the band, such as leadership problems: “Aside from inexperienced and uncaring managers, some people are just wholly opposed to taking orders from their peers. This causes an avalanche of tension between them and their section. Arguments will typically break out as to who is right and who is wrong-- especially during marching season ( 3).” Each paragraph, despite flowing strangely, outlined a specific aspect of the band in increasingly detailed methods. One section describes the methods band members use to communicate with one another while another tells of its hierarchy. Overall, this paper, despite its shortcomings, laid the base for which I would later improve upon in following essays.
As a kid I always wanted to play the drums. When I was three years old my godmother gave me my first drum. It was a blue plastic remo drum that I love and I still have. It has white stripes that go vertically and it has two black remo pin strip drum heads. Drumheads are the surface, which you strike with a drumstick to produce a sound. The drum came with a pair of cheap plastic remo brand drumsticks. That I hardly use became if I do, I would probably break the drumsticks.