Personal Narrative: My Marching Band Journey

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.

Life is a myriad of personal struggles, the depth of which depend wholly on the individual. One can decide to passively exist or proactively contribute. High school, a prime example of this crossroads, offers students a plethora of opportunities to distinguish themselves academically, artistically, and athletically. For me, being a part of my school’s band program has been the outlet that has enabled me to flourish.

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.

Everyone encounters something they absolutely love. They call it their passion and want to learn every little thing about it. Most people don't find it until high school, maybe even a little later, but I found mine in fifth grade. From the point I first picked up the flute, until now, I have loved band and wanted to learn everything I can about it. I think about marching band now, and it's hard to think what band would be like a couple years ago, let alone before I was born. So I started thinking. When did Webster City start having a marching band at the school? Who were the band teachers up until now? What before and after school practices were mandatory? What were the marching band uniforms like? How about the color guard uniforms? What was

When I first joined marching band after seventh grade, I missed the first summer practice to see a concert. At that time, I had no idea how much band would come to mean to me nor the unexpected amount of dedication needed. Before marching band, music was merely a casual thing, but it has transformed this old hobby into a greater priority. After just one season, this shift was noticeable. I certainly did not consider missing two days of a Disney World vacation to march at nationals when first reading the schedule. But this beloved sport worked its ways in a few short months. Through two marching seasons and a winter concert, band became one of the most prominent activities in my life.

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.

I have also been a member of band and a part of the college ambassadors. I have done band for four years and my freshman year I was a part of the all-county band. All-county band is an audition from all of the best band members from every school in the county and there are limited spots with certain instruments to come together into a mass band and perform together. All county band members are known to being the best band players in the county yet alone at your school. As a college ambassador, it is a group of about ten people who come together and discuss college choices, standardized test, studies, majors and life during college. This group has helped me make college decisions, made me a better person overall, has taught me many different options and routes through college, such as introducing me to internships during college. All throughout school ever since elementary school I have been on A/B honor roll and I still am to this day. My junior year I was inducted into the National Honors Society and the National Technical Honors Society, so grades are very important to me because I understand sports do not last forever but education and knowledge

Summer band wasn’t easy but it did teach us lessons such as discipline, teamwork, resilience, and time management. Being in band is commitment all year round and through that commitment you are taught skills other people aren’t exposed to. Learning how to adapt to others is a skill you need to survive in a band. There are 200+ people in a lot of high school marching bands, which means over 200 different characters you have to work with no matter any difference. With most of us coming from different backgrounds of course there are going to be differences. Two years prior to high school there was a school split between and I lived on the edge of the zoning border. I lost most of my friends the following year and thought I would be by myself all throughout high school. When I joined band I knew that wasn’t going to be the case. The band was essentially my family and my directors were my parents. My school had a large band population so I never had a class without at least two other band kids. Also, the band kids were considered to be the smarter kids and since we all took Per-AP/AP classes we all had classes together. You couldn’t separate us because it was just that strong of a bond. Band on top of that was all

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 popularised by the 1999 film “American Pie,” nearly everyone is familiar with the phrase “this one time at band camp,” followed by some hilarious, vulgar, or downright ridiculous tale that happened under the guise of a week of musical performance. However, fewer can claim to have actually experienced band camp and what it has to offer — fortunately, I am one of those few. Throughout my four years of marching band, performing on the sousaphone, I have had countless moments that have shaped me into the individual I am; however, for the sake of concision, it seems most fitting to discuss my very first band camp, a month prior to beginning high school as a freshman. It would be unreasonable to not discuss the social impact of that week. Before

Marching Band has been a part of my life since I was about 9 years old. “I’m with the band” has been something I’ve said since I was in the fourth grade. In 2008, my band director, Mrs. Bollaro decided she would create a Pep Band, which soon turned into the ALJ Marching Band. My oldest brother, Eddie joined, and two years later, my other brother, Giulian joined. I was always mesmerized by the pretty flags and the spinning weapons, so it was not a surprise when I decided to join colorguard. When I finally made it to the eighth grade, I was allowed to join the colorguard. From the moment I knew what colorguard was, I wanted to be a part of it. My mom, and two of my aunts were in their high school colorguards, so being in colorguard meant more than just spinning. Joining marching band meant that I was following in my family traditions, and continuing what my family had started.

All over the country band programs are being shut down because schools do not think they are important, or they do not think they have enough money for them. In this writer’s opinion this is a severely poor choice. Too many people the band program is of utmost importance to a school.

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

Over the last six years I've heard marching commands over a thousand times. They are easy to execute when called separately, but slightly harder when called continuously. The march off has been a tradition in the band for the last forty years. Always on the parking lot at exactly 11:45 just fifteen minutes before lunch. When asked what a march off is, the best way I can describe it is as a giant game of Simon Says but with marching commands.