Essay On Auditioning For The All-County Honor's Band

A person’s hobbies say a lot about them as an individual. It is a universal truth that the people you surround yourself with have a major impact in shaping who you are, and the people that coincide with your interests can either change your life for better or for worse. For the past six years of my life, I have been a part of the fine arts community through band.

To the average person, the high school marching band is nothing more than a bunch of geeks that play during half time at the football games or monopolize the benches by the band hall, but to me, it is so much more. To me it is a family, a safe haven, a creative outlet, a home. I have been involved in marching band for three years, going on four, and I wouldn 't trade the experience for anything. When I entered high school as a scared and awkward freshman, I immediately had three hundred people that I could rely on. The program quickly became like a second home to me and opened up a whole new path in my life. Playing percussion took on a whole new definition in my eyes and I gained not only a greater respect for music, but for the people that created it and managed it and loved it like no other. Through my high

When I received my class rank at the start of sophomore year, I told my father “11th is decent, but I can do better.” When junior year came, and I received the updated numbers, I said the same about being 4th, "I can do better". Here I am, 3rd in the class, battling through my senior year, and still pushing myself to do better. Pushing MYSELF. My determination to improve doesn 't stem from my parents, my coaches, my teammates or ANYONE demanding me to, but rather because I know that I am capable.

("A Quote) When I sit back and think of all the ways band has changed my life for the better, I realize it was not just the music, but also those who are in the band. Wirt County Tiger Marching Band was literally my go to for the longest time, especially after my parents split up, the only people I wanted to talk to were those in band. I started band when I was in the fifth grade and I played a clarinet for about two weeks and realized that I had made the biggest error thinkable. After two weeks passed I then tried out the trumpet and

Although my grades were not always consistent, I never earned less than a B for a final grade in my English courses. Often my instructors privately told me that my papers were the best in the class and shared my work with others. My writing secured me a free trip to London and Paris with my business club as well as my acceptance into multiple colleges. I am certain my extracurricular activities, including cheerleading, volleyball, community service projects, fundraisers and employment also played a vital role in these accomplishments. Of all the schools to which I applied, only VSU waitlisted me probably because of my phobia about standardized examinations, which caused me not to perform as well as I should have on the SAT.

One-hundred and fifty students stared out at the audience, heaving after singing their final note at the All-State Honor Choir Conference. Among those kids was Janie Hawkins, a five-foot-two, singing powerhouse. All state choir is focused on learning music and perfecting skills, so when Janie got in, she received music at home before the “conference.” She and other students tried out in September, received the music and then stayed in Eugene, Oregon. After two days of practicing for the performance with her choir peers, Janie and the choir finally did the performance and had to say goodbye to their new-found friends at the Eugene Hult Center. Weeks of hard practice were put to good work on that Saturday night.

At the end of the year for auditions, I decided to try out for Symphonic band, the top band in our school. Because I was in one of the last bands, a lot of people told me this would be very difficult to do. When the results came in I found out I had made symphonic. I was very proud of myself with how much I had improved within just a year. I even got the Academic Excellence for Concert 2 band award at the end of the 2013-2014 school year.

My sister is younger than me, but recently left for an early college program. Which was difficult because we’re very close and as her older sister I’ve always taken care of her. Throughout my life she’s been my best friend. Our family has always been extremely close, because it’s just the three of us. Our small family dynamic, combined with being raised by a single mother, has made me an independent person and someone who tries to make sure others are taken care of.

The band program taught me how to push through the difficulties and struggles that would allow me to become a better performer in the end, and taught me the importance of respect and courtesy, whether it be for volunteers with the band, my bandmates, other bands, and so on, and how far simple manners can go. Most importantly, though, this band taught me what it was like to be dedicated and passionate about something. In the past two years, I have developed a love for playing music that has given me more joy in life than anything else in the last four years, and due to that caused me to learn a new instrument, get more involved with our music program, created friendships and relationships that will last, allowed me to become a more rounded person, that is better equipped to handle my future. I have grown greatly in the last few years, and this is all due to the band program, which I will never be able to repay for all it has done for

“The task ahead of you is never as great as the strength within you”. I live by these quotes each day which shapes up of who I am. If I start something I must always finish and give it my all, whether it’s on the field and off the field. To give one-hundred percent in a game and in the classroom, that winners never quit, and quitters never win. Whether I win or lose, as long as I gave it my all, then that’s all that matters.

As a twelve year old, I was often asked to babysit young children. Starting off caring for young family members quickly escalated to other babies and toddlers, which gave me an astounding sense of responsibility. My father is one of seven children, making my family rather large. I grew up surrounded by seventeen younger cousins, which immediately allowed me to experience how babies and young children act on a daily basis. Exposure to people who can not function fully on their own assisted me and built me into who I am today.

Now that I am older, I understand the hard work my parents do in order to make ends meet. Through my experience, I have become a resilient individual. I have gained many experiences that have taught me the qualities of being determined and unafraid. When I reflect on myself about my journey to a good education, I focus on the sacrifices my family

I’ve spent hundreds of hours working with my peers, building friendships while working toilsomely to perfect one show each year. When we weren’t on the field practicing, we were performing at football games or at community events, bringing the community together with a sense of pride. Being a part of the marching band has taught me to put the betterment of my peers over myself and I have made it my goal to make the people around me the best that they

My high school is highly competitive and I’m grateful that I was surrounded by such wonderful peers and teachers. Completing high school, I received 12th place out of almost 450 students, with a weighted GPA of 4.244. Despite my hard course load,

but I was always taught to be thankful of the things that I had and to not be so selfish. Having two other siblings helped me prevent the want of being selfish. I do not know what I would do without my family. My family is very inspiring because they show me all aspects on how I should live my life through their experiences like education, parenting, and work ethic.