Personal Narrative: Marching Band Identity

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.

Marching band has been the most time-consuming and enjoyable extracurricular I have participated in throughout some of middle school and all of high school. I marched alto saxophone when I was in the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades and I have been drum major (also known as field commander) since my sophomore year of high school. Having this job has been a huge responsibility, but it has also given me invaluable learning and leadership experience.

Building upon the invaluable benefits I gained through jazz band, my participation in our marching unit

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.

Your band becomes your family and  a family holds each other responsible and look out for one another. That includes, before competitions encouraging

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.

In eighth grade I was first chair trumpet player for the J.A.M.S. band. I led the band in most songs and the band teacher made me feel like I was the best trumpet player ever. In eighth grade I was again accepted into a junior high honor band just as I had been in seventh grade. In eighth grade however I was not concerned about chair placements at the honor band as I had been in seventh grade. When I went to honor band in seventh grade I received a second chair placement. An eighth grader received first chair. Therefore, I thought I was almost guaranteed first chair as I was an eighth grader now so in my mind no one would beat me.

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

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

When I joined marching band, I never intended to become so involved. I only saw it as a chance to make friends. Yet, without my realizing it, I quickly became immersed in band. As the years went by, I developed a love for band, the people in it, even the way it felt to perform. I was a shy person; I lived in a bubble of what was safe, what was comfortable. I kept my thoughts to myself and kept others at a distance. So of course, it was a shock to both my friends and myself when I decided to audition for drum

I joined clubs that controlled individual aspects of my life in education, collaboration and leadership that would prepare me for a college life. However, the biggest impact I made at my school was being involved in my marching band. As a junior, I was chosen by my band director to step into the role of a senior and lead our band. I doubled as a section leader for saxophones and drum major leading about 90 kids on the field. As a junior it was frustrating dealing with seniors who invalidated your position simply because of age, but as a program it was a growing experience. It was stressful and time consuming, but it was such a culminating opportunity to mature and grow not only in the program, but also as a person. I never understood how much this program meant to me until I was separated from my parents and put into a placement home, away from the single two people who lifted the world off my shoulders. The band room became my home when I refused to call a strangers house my home. I then realized that this program wasn't just teaching me how to play an instrument, but also helped me to get through life in a safe way. Now as a senior, I continue to be the drum major of a much larger band and hope to help the kids find their comfort in music as I did when nothing else was

Whenever I moved to Boyle County and found that Boyle County High School was my desired school of choice, my parents found themselves continuously urging me to join their band program, specifically marching band. I had previously been in band at my former high school, located in an exceptionally small town, in which a quality music program was not necessarily valued, much less a competitive marching band.

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.

If I could change one thing to improve the Middle School Band Program, I would try to get the high school band members more involved in the development of the younger musicians in the Middle School Band Programs. As we know, our Middle Schools have continuously proven themselves to be skilled and advanced on the highest level, therefore, the concepts being taught are working. However, through my experience, it seems as if us Middle School Students assume that our ability to play instruments is capped at a certain level. Without a long term goal focused towards High School, we just learn our music and play. For me, after meeting with current upperclassmen in wake of drumline auditions, I realized that there was much more work to be done. As

Looking up I could see four towering bright, blinding stadium light posts surrounding the stadium; these lights surrounded my world for twenty long minutes. My marching band had just finished our eight-minute marching show, afterwards we lined up in the end zone anxiously awaiting the final scores for the twenty-six bands that had performed throughout the day. My band was the last to perform which unfortunately meant we had to wait on the field for our scores in full uniform which includes: shorts, a t-shirt, long black socks, black hideous marching shoes, suspender like pants and an uncomfortable jacket with Michael Jackson shoulder pads. After twelve unbearably long minutes the announcers voice echoed around the stadium, “ Welcome to the Golden Triangle Marching Band Competition!”