As I cautiously make my way down the corridor on my first day of school I hear a strange noise escaping one of the rooms. Although it sounds like a jumbled mess of instruments I am intrigued, it is the band room and I know I’ll be entering there soon. What I was not aware of is how deeply being a part of high school band would shape me as a person. Looking back on that time is almost surreal considering that I know have been in band up to senior year, have been a section leader, and learning more instruments than one.
Being a part of band has shown me that I am always part of something much larger than myself. It is not always about me, and that is okay. Sometimes you’re playing the melody or moving lines and sometimes you’re just playing a bunch of half notes. Learning this fact took a while because for a long time when directors would say that my section wasn’t important I would feel almost.... offended? But after almost eight years of playing in the band I have learned that it is okay to not be the most important person in the room. In fact, it is often more fulfilling to be the one that helps lift that person up.
Even the most important person in the room messes up and I have now seen that nobody is perfect. Even the greatest player messes up on 16th note runs or have trouble counting lines. Band has taught me that you shouldn’t feel horrible about making mistakes, in fact you should embrace them. My favorite quote is “if you’re going to mess up, own it”, you should own
Although I've received many musical accolades, the skills and relationships I've formed while being in band are
I started band in the 6th grade, I honestly thought that I wasn’t going to make it to my senior year, but here I am a senior in band. I am not forced to be in band I can get out at anytime anyday, but I choose not to. It is hard when you are marching and it feels like 100+ degrees. You feel like you want to pass out, but you just have to suck it up and be tough. Throughout the years I have been in band I have created friendships. I have my closest friends in band. I have created many memories in band that will last a lifetime, that I will share one day with my kids. I do not know what I would do without band. Getting in band has been the best decision I have ever made. Band has been the highlight of my high school years. One of the scariest moments I have experienced in band was when we messed up at U.I.L. contest, I was terrified I did not want us to make a 2, it all happened so fast. It was time to get our results, we made a 1, I was so happy. The judges said that if you were to close your eyes and listening to us, you would not know we messed up. We never stopped playing and we recovered so fast, we were so matured when this happened. Band takes up
As with most kids, I was a bit nervous about my transition from middle school to high school. One advantage I had was that I participated in band in middle school and planned to be in the band in high school. The Round Rock High School band has a history of excellence and I was looking forward to being a part of that organization. This was an extraordinary time and I looked forward to being a part of the band with great anticipation. Being a part of an organization such as this makes the transition to high school seem much easier and it seemed I had a ready-made group of friends that I could rely on and ask questions of if necessary. After all, the Round Rock High School Band has over 300 members.
Our clarinet section has goals that are set explicitly for our discourse community alone, community-specific terminology that varies greatly from other discourse communities within the band, and a much more evident balance in community roles. I have had a role in the general discourse community of the clarinet section since the fifth grade, but my place in the high school band discourse community is going on its fourth year. Over my years in the general community, my role has evolved greatly along with my goals and many other aspects of my place in the
All of this contributed to me joining the marching band, beginning in eighth grade, which has taken over my life now, in the best way possible and given me a defined place. It’s nice to be a part of something like
High school has never been the worst years of my life. It has been difficult, but I had never felt like it was truly wonderful or meaningful until this year. This past summer, I joined the marching band, and since then my life has changed drastically. Marching band has increased the quality of my high school life, given me the opportunity to impact others, and taught me more about myself than I knew before. Being in marching band, I have made an abundant amount of friendships that never before have I experienced.
I have been a part of a band program since I was in fifth grade through junior year, so I know how to work in a team.While in the band program I worked with the community a lot,from marching in parades to fundraising.I also have learned the importance of being on time and the importance to sticking to commitments that have been made from this program and my part time job where I worked in stocking and customer service. I have younger siblings so I have learned to put others before myself since I was always babysitting them because my parents worked a lot.I’ve also had at least one pet ever since I was born so I know how to prioritize my time between school ,time to myself,and time for my pets.I also have developed empathy from these animals
It doesn’t take a natural disaster or a death to alter the course of your life. It can be as small and simple as a choice—picking a class. My life was changed for the better when, in sixth grade, I chose to join the band. I remember vacillating, nearly in tears, over which instrument to learn before deciding to choose the flute, unaware that this decision would mold me through out my middle school and high school years. Band has taught me valuable life lessons and leadership skills, it has provided me with priceless friendships, and it has fostered a love of music in me. Without band I would not be the person I am today.
As drum major it is your responsibility to take care of the band and lead them to victory doing what is best for them. It teaches you to be as selfless as possible, you learn that it is not all about you but that everything needs to be done for the best of everybody. However, as I have had to learn this year, in order to accomplish this it takes explaining to each member what you are trying to achieve in terms they understand, as not everyone learns the same. Learning this I believe has made me a better
The summer of 2013 was both a time of celebration, as I had just graduated middle school, and a time of insecurities, as I started my journey as a member of my high school’s marching band. In middle school, I was normally a shy, quiet person, so it comes as no surprise that I felt uncomfortable at my first marching band practice. In addition, very few of my band friends in middle school had continued into high school marching band, creating a feeling of isolation over me.
What is your stereotypical marching band geek? Weak, thin, and clumsy, having broken glasses and always seem to be holding their instrument?
I met most of my best friends from band. You will become more social and outgoing. I used to be so shy and quiet, but once i started band I became the loudest and most outgoing kid there is. Being in band is the coolest thing you can do. You meet so many new people and make so many new friends.
So, I might as well write about something that consumes my life 24/7: marching band. I didn’t officially start marching band until the ninth grade. You could join as an eighth grader, but I was way too scared. Ninth grade rolled around and I decided to join. My first marching show was named ‘Double Crossed.’It was set in the 1920s, which is my favorite time period. We had music from Chicago: The Musical and many other pieces. It was one of my absolute favorite shows. It still is actually. Even though we didn’t even make it past regionals that year, I didn’t care. My first marching show was one to remember.
When the question is brought up, “What does band mean to you?” I immediately think of the responsibility, hard work, and dedication and band has given me the chance to learn and strengthen. In addition to these life skills are many others, such as leadership, teamwork, and friendship. The Force has made more than just a difference in my high school career, it has impacted my life and has provided me with skills that will follow me throughout my life. Band means to supporting each other as we work through the hard times and grow closer as a family. Band means working hard and taking on responsibility for yourself. It also means being dependable, that people can count on you and your ability to achieve the unthinkable.
“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