Extracurricular Activities:
• Westwood Marching Band –
For the past four years, I’ve dedicated every August to participate in this “creative story of music and movement”, to make something quite special in today’s world. Spanning 15 weeks every year, this activity pulls avid music makers together to give life to a visual aspect of music that is often untold in traditional concert bands. Over five hundred and ten hours a year, our body of three hundred members bond, find purpose together, and support each other through any test of life. It’s hard to put into words, but it is something that I would never change in my high school experience.
(35 hours per week, 15 weeks per year)
• Westwood Warrior Band –
In a slightly different setting (following the time dedicated to marching band), I’ve spent the past three and a half years in daily rehearsals, preparing for concert performances (occurring about every two months). Every year we must audition for one of four bands, and based on our instrument ability, we are placed by our directors. These smaller music groups (of about 40-60 members per band) allow us to hone our musical abilities more acutely, and work to perform on a more detail-oriented final product (our concerts).
(15 hours per week, 30 weeks per year)
• International Student Exchange – …show more content…
Both juniors here in the American education system, they have been uniquely situated to influence me, first as an older brother, then as a younger sister. The two Spaniards have provided a refreshing worldly view, especially in our (often) closed American perspective. Stories of train-hoping between countries, confusion as to the purpose of American holidays (“Halloween? You give candy out to little kids?.. But why?”), and debates over the different dynamics of legal ages (driving, drinking, etc.) have been quite insightful (to put it most
• Westwood Marching Band –
For the past four years, I’ve dedicated every August to participate in this “creative story of music and movement”, to make something quite special in today’s world. Spanning 15 weeks every year, this activity pulls avid music makers together to give life to a visual aspect of music that is often untold in traditional concert bands. Over five hundred and ten hours a year, our body of three hundred members bond, find purpose together, and support each other through any test of life. It’s hard to put into words, but it is something that I would never change in my high school experience.
(35 hours per week, 15 weeks per year)
• Westwood Warrior Band –
In a slightly different setting (following the time dedicated to marching band), I’ve spent the past three and a half years in daily rehearsals, preparing for concert performances (occurring about every two months). Every year we must audition for one of four bands, and based on our instrument ability, we are placed by our directors. These smaller music groups (of about 40-60 members per band) allow us to hone our musical abilities more acutely, and work to perform on a more detail-oriented final product (our concerts).
(15 hours per week, 30 weeks per year)
• International Student Exchange – …show more content…
Both juniors here in the American education system, they have been uniquely situated to influence me, first as an older brother, then as a younger sister. The two Spaniards have provided a refreshing worldly view, especially in our (often) closed American perspective. Stories of train-hoping between countries, confusion as to the purpose of American holidays (“Halloween? You give candy out to little kids?.. But why?”), and debates over the different dynamics of legal ages (driving, drinking, etc.) have been quite insightful (to put it most