Marching Band Eassy

I have played trumpet since I was in the fourth grade -- that makes a grand total of 8 years. I had always taken private lesson and taken a keen interest in perfecting the instrument. At the beginning of high school, I decided to switch teachers and start working towards the district band audition. Just like with everything else I do, I was going to put all my effort into making district band. To be honest, I did not think I was going to make district band freshman year of high school simply because it was my first time auditioning. But when it was all said and done, I received a spot in the district band ensemble. It was the best musical experience I have ever had. I have never heard so many great musicians together before, and to be a part of it was absolutely incredible. I knew that I had to do anything I could to be a part of this group year

As Newt Gingrich once said, “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of the hard work you already did.” This quote applies greatly to marching band. Many people like to discredit it as something that is simply “walking around and playing an instrument,” but it is much more than that. We didn’t win championships across the east coast twice by doing something just anyone can do. No one perseveres quite like the band.

Your quiet leadership and what you do behind the scenes to help your section and those around you become the best they can be is such an example. I am so proud of you. When somebody asks me about the Marching Band program at Alta, I immediately think of you and the different memories that we have. My heart swells with love and passion for our friendship and how much you go through to make those around you proud. It is so ridiculously hard to leave this program each day; knowing that the day is over and we cannot progress as a whole until the next rehearsal. Though each day we rip ourselves away from this room, I know full well that you are continuing to better yourself and grow in your abilities wherever you may

I joined my high school’s marching band my freshman year, playing trumpet. I love playing trumpet, and being part of the trumpet section. I played trumpet during my Freshman, Sophomore

One of the most influential leadership roles that I have had the honor of holding is being the drum majorette for my high school and junior high marching band. Included in this role, I not only conducted the band, but I energetically gave constructive criticism, provided encouragement, and listened to my fellow band members’ opinions. Relating to John Quincy Adams’ quote, I implemented goals regarding to success for individual band members and the band as a whole, essentially supporting my members to “dream more” and to see the bigger picture. Junior high members who joined our band this marching season were granted the opportunity to attend a pre-session with our band director and I before the start of band camp. During this session, the band director and I taught them marching fundamentals and presented them with tips relating to memorizing music and how to sufficiently mark their maneuvers in their music. This session allowed the junior high members to catch up with the older members and ,substantially, “learn more”.

Memories began to race through my mind as I started to look back at the time when I first joined the marching band. Coming into high school, I was not reluctant to try out new things, and marching band was an activity that would allow me to open myself up to others and develop a strong sense

As a kid who wasn’t very athletic or artistic, my options for clubs and classes was kind of slim. So, naturally, I turned to music. I had joined my elementary school’s band in 6th grade, my only obstacle was to choose which instrument to play. I was caught between an alto saxophone and a flute, two completely different instruments, and I of course chose the one more difficult to carry. When I started my saxophone career it felt like more of a chore to practice than it was enjoyable. Soon enough, I started to practice on my own instead of having to be told to do so. I have now been playing the saxophone for 5 years, falling in love with it as the years went by. My favorite music to play on the saxophone is jazz, the energetic feel to it makes it interesting to play and listen to. This instrument has brought me a lot of good memories, I can’t wait to see what else it has in store for my future. I’m almost glad that I wasn’t athletic enough to make any of the teams, because if I would have I wouldn’t have picked up a saxophone.

First, being a five-year veteran will certainly show people of my commitment and the skills that I have more than likely picked up along the way. I have always tried to support people in band where I can, especially new comers, and hope that many people in the band program respect me as both a musician and a leader. I also make an effort to be inclusive and get to know the various people in the program, for respect is largely earned not gained. This year more than ever, being a senior, I have pushed myself to lead by example and to be a positive force within the bands as well a force that younger kids can look up to. I have always held pride in all of my bands and I believe that many people know this. I by no means keep my musical passions a secret, it is a large part of who I am, and every band I play in likewise plays a role in

In sixth grade I decided to join band at the middle school. This made a difference in my life because it would decide which friends I would have in middle school. So every Thursday and Friday after school I would ride the bus to the middle school just to play band. The instrument I played was the trumpet because it looks easy to play I mean come on it only has three buttons. The first day of playing it I got one very unsteady note out. I wanted to get better so I practised at home mostly everyday to sound better.

My freshman year I played trumpet in my school band where I developed my musical understanding of music notes, rhythms and pitches. But I hated playing the trumpet, I was never any good at it; however, one day thinking I was alone, I was singing through the halls and my music teacher stopped me and told me to join our chorus. From that moment, my highschool career changed.

Throughout my whole life, music has been apart of who I am as a person. From church Christmas plays to starting band in sixth grade, it’s one of the only things that I have known practically since birth. One of my favorite activities has always been band, and as a freshman in high school I joined the marching band. Little did I know the hard work it would take, the lessons I would learn, or how I would grow to be the leader and person I am today all from three months of dedicated time. Marching band was first presented to me in the eighth grade when some seniors from the high school came and told us about their experiences.

An ongoing debate in the world is whether marching band is considered to be a sport or an active hobby. What can be classified as a sport is never ending if you compare it to the true definition of a sport. In the Meriam-Webster dictionary 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. How does this relate to marching band though? It’s a physical activity because you need to march and play your instrument simultaneously in correspondence to the conductor. The contest aspect of it is when a band competes in a league against other bands to gain the highest score. People still argue that it doesn’t take nearly as much effort to march in a band

I, like most students, chose the trumpet, but I was different. The connection between a musician and an instrument is distinct. I felt a pulse resonating through the horn; this was the perfect instrument for me. I excelled and strived to master the instrument throughout middle school, but high school approached quickly. The concept of auditioning for chairs petrified me to the core. Although I was extremely anxious, I performed my audition, but my nerves were relentless. My audition left much to be desired, but when the results were known, I was placed in Symphonic Band, the most prestigious band at Lakeview High

Band in general has always been a huge part of my life. Ever since sixth grade I have been dedicated to concert band. But in middle school it wasn’t anything life-changing. The life-changing part of band didn’t happen until high school. Ninth grade was when I started Symphonic band, Marching Band, and Pep Band. Symphonic Band was very straight-forward, we performed at many concerts throughout the year and at the end of the year we were judged at our state-assessment, where every year we consistently got the highest rating of superior. Marching band was much more complicated than Symphonic Band. It required commitment, and a lot of it. All of August, Monday through Friday was spent at the practice field, and if it was raining, we were rehearsing

Irene was a high school student involved in the marching band. Before high school, students bullied Irene due to her weight of two hundred pounds. Irene played the clarinet, but she was not sure if she wanted to join the marching band. The dark memories of people berating her physical appearance scared her into thinking that her fellow band-mates would do the same. Irene desperately wanted to get into shape so she joined a sport, but knew she was not fit enough for any of the typical ball sports. She eventually realized that the only sport remaining was marching band.