Personal Reflection Essay: Vista Rivera's Marching Band

Most schools offer a variety of activities, classes, and clubs. I personally was never interested in school or anything to do with it. Then I came across band and was instantly hooked. Band has concerts, marching band, and you get to meet new people. Band is my favorite class and here are some reasons why.

I am a dedicated and conscientious student in class, and a key member in many extra-curricular activities. As a keen musician, playing violin, trombone and piano, I contribute to a number of musical ensembles in school and played an integral part in the organisation of our school’s summer concert. I am also a member of several local youth orchestras and bands, with whom I have toured abroad many times, most recently to Italy, France and Belgium.

On a whim in fifth grade, I decided that I wanted to learn how to play an instrument. I had never thought about how important it would become, but it has become a primary part of my life. I think this reason starts with you. You made learning music more entertaining for 10 year olds who don't have the first clue as to what they're doing. Not only did you teach me the fundamentals of it, but you created a love for it through opportunities and encouragement.

“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

12. Skateboarding and marching band might not seem very similar with alike characteristics, but you would be surprised how I train for both of them very similarly. When I go to the skatepark I always am there for over three hours at a time. This means that I have good breath control. If a random person tried skating for three hours they would be passed out on the ground because they would run out of breath. That is the same thing for marching band. In marching band I will be running across the field while playing blasting into my tuba. In order to be able to do something longer, such as skate for a longer period of time, you must do a warm up. This means that I can’t just go to the skatepark and start shredding. I first should do basic tricks before advancing into harder tricks.

It is required that at least one of the arts, choir, band, or art, is taken at some point in one's high school career, but one of these fine arts is especially looked down upon. Band is seen as a program for geeks and nerds. Color guard, which is a sub-unit of band, is for girls who tried out for cheer and did not make it, and if a boy is in guard then they are seen as feminine. There is a different stereotype for each section involved in band. It is true that all of the other arts come with stereotypes, but they are not as degrading as the bands. These students are not receiving the recognition they deserve. Band is under appreciated for its physicality, challenges, and overall benefits.

Throughout my high school career, I have come to be heavily involved in activities within my high school. I was inducted into National Honor Society in the school year of 2015-2016. I came to be involved in the Drama Club for all four years of my high school career, along with being in Student Council all four years as well. In Student Council, I held the position of treasurer my senior year, and was on the executive board. The music department also has been one of the biggest programs I have come to be involved in within my high school career. I have played alto saxophone in concert band all four years of high school, and played alto saxophone my senior year in jazz band. Along with being in both concert band and jazz band, I was also part

A band director may direct an orchestra or concert band, but is usually not the head of the academic music department. You have to find arrangements for the band and help the students learn to play an instrument., This paper will discuss band direction and music performance; what you need to learn, degrees needed, qualifications, and employment.

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

Phil Smith, band director of the Penzville High School Marching Band, would like for the principal to increase his extracurricular pay. Mr. Smith specifically has asked that the extracurricular pay be raised to be equal to that of the head football coach’s compensation. Mr. Smith’s justification for his request is based on the band’s outstanding growth and performance:

Phoenix marching band practices on Tuesdays from 4-6 pm, Thursdays from 6-9 pm, and Saturdays 8am to 1 pm. Their audience can clearly tell that their practices pays off every time they perform at competitions, football games, assemblies and occasionally parades. The Marching band really knows how to bring life to all the events they play at. They create excitement by being loud and proud everywhere they go! The school is very lucky to have such an amazing band that looks great and always puts on a great performance.

Marching season is one of my favorite parts of the school year. With marching season comes homecoming and during the homecoming game the band has to sit on the ground bleachers because of the amount of people who come to that game compared to the other games. We were excited for the game because we were about to present how hard we had worked in preparation to make everything look and sound good.

The VPA Music Program accepts only the most capable young musicians. This is one of many reasons I’d like to participate in the program. I believe that being around talented people allows for a beneficial exchange of knowledge. I aim to be around those that strive to better themselves and work endlessly to reach their goals. Likewise, I would constantly challenge myself. At school, nothing terribly new happens and I’d like the opportunity to switch things up. We are given a short time period to work and as a percussionist, I spend some time learning by myself. Though it’s nice practicing alone, I’d like to spend more time with an instructor. Having access to multiple instructors and musicians from all over allows access to many new perspectives

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.

Band is a very important activity for me. The introduction to the saxophone is the beginning of my involvement. I learned how to read music, breathe properly, perform on stage, and time management. I have now come to realize that practice leads to better sound quality. While improving, I use music to express myself individually and blend myself in with an ensemble. Band, to me, is a way to relieve stress, work with others, and develop my musical