I picked up my flag, my red dress blowing against my legs, the last move being replayed in my head.
Dead silence.
A roaring applause shook me to my core. I bow. The applause got louder, my heart rate accelerated
Bowden High School; the location of my first competition of the season occurred. Marching onto the field, I wondered how many people have performed here, and have felt the same way I do. My mind lacked confidence and was full of uncertainty.
Last September
”Catherine, you got this. Do not be nervous,” I whisper to myself. I am on the sidelines waiting for my band to be called. My head is filled with fear, an emotion that had made itself home before every performance. Looking ahead, I see the 50 yard line where I will start the show.
“Please welcome the Spirit of McIntosh High School Marching Band”
In the spotlight of stage fright, I started marching toward the 50 yard line, setting down my other flags along the way. The line was only a few more steps away, but it looked like it was a million miles away. With every step I took, my breathing got faster, my knuckles clenched my
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After countless games and competitions, I still could not escape the fear that came with performing. I realized that my fear was irrational because I had done the work flawlessly so many times before arriving at the competition. My fear was fake and wanted me to fail. After screwing up the first 16 counts of the show, I recovered. However, I was on edge the rest of the show. Of course after the show, my instructor was disappointed and gave me a scalding, but that memory of what it was like to be frozen in front of the entire stadium haunted me. I had two more competitions left in the season, and I was determined not to screw them up. Two weeks had passed, and I found myself in the same position. Walking towards the 50, heart racing, fear building. The only thing that changed was that I was determined to conquer my
Summer before junior year of high school, I was looking at a lot of standardized tests, essays, a heavier school workload, college applications, and getting a driver's license; my most immediate concern, however, was the soon to begin marching band season. Spring semester of sophomore year I had decided to audition for a leadership position in the band, and I suppose I was the best candidate because I managed to snag Section Leader for my instrument, clarinet. As the final days of July passed by, I anticipated the start of a season where I would be mentoring and teaching my fellow clarinet players the complex art of marching band. A few days before leadership camp I received a letter in the mail from the Head Band Director, Mr. Larry Brown, and immediately I knew things were not going to be what I expected.
Although there are many objects and things that can define my culture, I believe that my music taste, my language and my manners makes me who I am today.
A couple of months later competition season came and I was so nervous to go out there and perform in front of a lot of people. After the first
I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the
What is your stereotypical marching band geek? Weak, thin, and clumsy, having broken glasses and always seem to be holding their instrument?
When I was in marching band finding my identity was one of the hardest things that I had to do. It took me to my senior year to fully understand what it meant to fully identify myself as a member of the Titan Regiment. What made me understand that I was a member because of recognition that I received in my last two years? Having the honor to lead my saxophone section in marching band and to be an inspirational figure to them recognized me. When this happened, it confirmed to me that I was really a member of the Titan regiment. This community defined me because it's built on top of my leadership skills that I currently had and it also help me to make more mature decisions as I got older. This experience did that by challenging me
1. Thirty pounds of metal resting on my left shoulder, I marched for hours in the blistering hot sun. The sousaphone was my greatest enemy. In 6th grade I was chosen to play tuba for our middle school band, I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me. Two years later, I had gotten pretty good. I made all state band, won some awards, and was 1st chair. I had no intention in joining the marching band my freshman year.
We were this close to being stripped of our "Undefeated" title. The band sat there in the bleachers, stunned as the announcer pulled up the scores and was ready to reveal first place. Blood rushed through my veins and the butterflies in my stomach were more active as ever. After all of our hard work, it would have been a shame if we did not conclude the season with a bang. The announcer raised her microphone and everything seemed to come to a halt.
I have been in band for six years. I have been in the Northglenn High school Performance Ensemble for three years. I first picked up a flute when I was just an anxiety-ridden 12-year-old who became flustered talking to anyone who I hadn’t known for over a year. I preferred to stay in very tight knit groups where everyone had been friends for five plus years. I made the decision to stay in band when I realized I had made new friends without any effort (an occurrence I had never experienced), and on top of that, I was having a great time. At this stage in my life, my family was experiencing a lot of issues. I practically lived in the hospital waiting room my entire sixth grade year; that newfound friendship meant all that more to me. I officially decided to remain in band and join marching band when I was 14 with much encouragement from my band teacher and the promise of being able to spend more time with my newfound best friend. The summer before freshman year was spent marching on a field in grueling heat with kids who all already knew each other; the prospects of new friendship didn’t look too great… My anxiety had yet to subside but, I was having the time of my life. As the years have gone by, I’ve evolved and grown with those kids who I once was terrified to talk to. They are very much
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.
The marching band has also felt like a home away from home. If I wasn’t at home with my parents, I was on the band field. While being in the marching band at my high school, my long-term goal was to become their drum major for my last two years. I wanted to be the drum major that would cause the band members to put every ounce of passion into performing the show. Once I decided this during my freshman year, I put my heart and soul into my band. I stepped up to any work my band director needed help with. Whether it was fundraising or running OMEA (Ohio Music Education Association) events or lining the band field, I was there to show my band director I was ready to be a leader. My setback came when I didn't achieve section leader for the flutes
“As you were,” responds the remaining band members in the march off. Every member hanging on the drum major’s every word. I think to myself “Don't mess up. You made it this far, you might
I participate in marching and concert band. As for concert band I have participated in it for 3 years, and i have only been in marching band for half a year.I enjoy being in both ensembles because it gives me a chance to make beautiful music and connect with my fellow band members. Most of the reason I’m even at where I am is because of my bad instructor Mr.Barz.
My past has had lots of good times and has had some down right shitty a.f. times. But it’s in the past, so I’ll try not bringing up those memories. So let’s start in the beginning. It was 6:00am at Hamot hospital in Erie,PA, and all of a suddenly you here a huge “OOOUUUCCCHHH!!!!!!!!!”, then badabing badaboom it was 6:01am and I was born. Apparently when I was born I was very yellow looking. Nothing was wrong with me I was just born yellow. After a couple months I started growing out of it, and eventually turned the color I am now, which after lots of discussion and debates with people it has been determined that I’m almost the inside of an almond color. Anyway, after the hospital I lived with my Mom and my Grandmother at her old house in Erie.
When I first joined the band, I was a quiet, emotionless guy. I didn’t have any close friends in the band either, so honestly, I wasn’t having the best time. The people around me always seemed so happy to talk to others, and it confused me in a way. But then when band camp rolled around, people started to talk to me, so naturally, I began to respond to them, and eventually I began to start conversations for myself. I was a whole lot less awkward as days turned into months, my stuttering was reduced to almost none, I'm pretty loud, and I'm pretty friendly too.