The Band

Ever since I joined band in 4th grade, people have been talking about how excited they were to join marching band. At band day in 5th and 6th grade, everyone else shared how they couldn't wait until they were a 9th grader and could finally be able to perform and play in the stands like we saw the marching band do many times. In 7th and 8th grade, we had a watered down version of marching band that only played two parades. While I was glad to get snare drum both years, the exhilaration was never…

school’s marching band. Although most high school students join the band their freshman year, with many coming from musically experienced backgrounds, I on the other hand joined in the last year of high school, with no band experience coming in. My first weeks in band was stressful, as my peers had to teach me all the intricacies of band, from marching technique, how to play my instrument, and memorizing my music as well as field positions. Joining the tuba section of the band only added to my…

able to rule the world. However, a load of long suffering came with that feeling. In the eighth grade, I was began preparations to join the marching band my freshman year of high school. During the course of my first year in band, I began to study the drum major very closely. I could picture myself on the field conducting and dancing in front of the band. For three years I studied the role. By the time I was a junior in high school I felt like I was ready to take on the role. I had mastered…

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…

Few people outside the marching band world realize the amount of time and effort that goes into assembling the perfect halftime show; months of preparation take place, and, then, rehearsals begin up until competition. Everyone involved, including band directors and band members, must contribute to the overall success of the marching band. Months before marching season begins, all materials must be prepared. This includes drill, coordinate sheets, and music. Usually, a drill writer is hired to…

teachers what I’m all about. The high school jazz band was the finest ensemble in the school for me to showcase my musical ability, specifically playing the saxophone. I’ve spent my life looking up to the jazz band at local performances. It was my dream to play in that prestigious group. I thought I did well during the audition. I was confident and professional, and I was content to get any spot in the group. After another easy day of concert band, I packed my saxophone up and walked to the…

In my seventh grade year, I decided to join band. I had known how to play flute, and though I wasn't the best I still enjoyed it so I continued. I played in band in eighth grade, too. The directors had decided since I was so “talented” I should join marching band. I had taken a lot of consideration into that decision and I decided to go ahead and give it a shot because I had nothing better to do and I needed to get in shape, anyways. I had went to the conditioning work outs during the summer…

was as enjoyable as marching band. The image I have chosen is my marching band’s practice field. We like to call it our “dirt mound” due to the lack of flat ground, dying grass, and dirt ditches from the years of band camp. The field may not boast the greatest conditions for marching band, but it is still beautiful because it proudly displays what I stand for. Over the past five years in marching band I have come very far. The year before I started, I attended Band Day, a special event where…

realized what I’m passionate about more than marching band. The sense of community and family that a band creates is so warming and that unity transcends into greatness when challenged. Band has helped me realize that whatever I do with my future, I want be working with people and building trust with people. It is those connections that we have with everyday people that inspire me to do better and to be a better person. This past year in marching band was a really big struggle for me, having…

began practicing for next year’s audition. I even began to practice several pieces of snare music in order to benefit my skills. As a result, I started developing the strength and endurance needed to play an entire marching show. My fellow percussion band mates began to notice the amount of time I had devoted into practicing, and also noticed how my skills improved. When the auditions came round, I felt confident in my abilities, but of course terrified. After my auditions, Mr. Guzman said,…