Graduation Speech: Marching Band

I’m at home on the high school parking lot. It’s the only space the administration grudgingly affords our marching band, and yet it’s ours. The band family lives and thrives off people supporting each other, we are there for each other when no one else is. I was elected by this family to be their band president last spring, and I have been completely changed. Despite the flashy title, I am still just one member of this 140 strong group, and I am still pushing to fulfill the responsibility placed on my shoulders.

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

Kaitlyn Hatchett Mr. Bergmann Senior English P5 28 August 2015 The Benefits of Participating in High School Band High school band is often looked upon as an activity where a bunch of nerds get in big, bulky, sweaty uniforms and walk around the football field during halftime all the while playing music that they have memorized. Although this is 99.9% true, marching band is much more than that and if you think about what was just stated, that takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication. Marching band provides students with life lessons and skills that can never be forgotten. There are some major “plus factors” of being a part of a high school band such as: students get to be around other students that they normally would not associate with,

Marching bands are an integral part of communities and are the bases in which many musicians get their start. The athletic art provides an outlet for kids to express their creativity while being part of a

No other community matches the diverse range of activities found in a marching band. As a musical activity, physical activity, performance art, and social catalyst, my high school marching band has been one of the largest driving forces in my life thus far. Eighth graders with a non-existent musical background interacted daily with a Senior who has already set his sights on music education; the marching unit brings its members together into a tight knit community that shares the struggles of intense practice, schoolwork, and general teenage life in a way that is free of predefined boundaries that are present in many other aspects of life. Race, age, gender: disregarded in favor of personal effort, enthusiasm, and dedication. The marching unit

The atmosphere of Schoenfeld Campus Gym had been electrifying Thursday afternoon. The Fall Homecoming Pep Rally included numerous activities for Concordia’s sports team to partake in. For example, one “challenge” involved a member of the sports team getting wrapped up in toilet paper, under the pressure of a time clock. When time ran out, whichever individual was wrapped in the most toilet paper (or looked the most like they had just emerged from an Egyptian pyramid) won that game. The CCNY Pep Rally acted as an opportunity for the rest of the student body to become familiar with our famed athletic program, and to mingle with this elite status of the student. The audience also joined in the fun and games. Dr. Leach flung specially made Pep Rally shirts into the bleachers, which made for a good laugh. I think it’s also important to note my lack of awareness of our gym’s bleachers until this afternoon!

As a nervous freshman about to embark on my high school journey, I had the choice to end my band career. Despite not knowing at all what to expect, I decided to pursue the fine arts into

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

Although the title “band nerd” doesn’t sound as impressive as being a star athlete, I wear my uniform with pride. Playing trombone in the marching band has earned the top spot on my list of favorite high school activities. Being a member of the Ardmore High School Marching Band has been both a positive and challenging experience. When I was selected to serve as band president for the 2015 marching band, I was both honored and excited for the upcoming season.

Conclusion The reason why most marching bands motto is one band one sound is because each band member needs to show leadership, responsibility, and teamwork. By doing this a band will have a unique sound, will have a better attitude, and will always perform very well. With leadership band members display exactly how serious they are, responsibility is shown through knowing their music, and with teamwork is shown through the entire performance. My band director taught us to treat each other with respect.

To All Veterans; To those that have served, from the birth of our great nation to our infinite future. To those that thought more of the lives of others more so than of their own lives. To the families that allow these one-in-a-hundred type men and women to serve and jeopardize their lives for the greater good of this distinguished nation. Today I’m thanking you and will forever be thanking you, for I’m proud to say I’m a free man, rather than under the control of tyranny and dictatorship. You have impacted this great nation in a way that at times is incomprehensible when considering what separates us from other nations across the world.

I am truly honored to be considered for being a part of The national honor Society. Being a part of this organization has been a goal for me since I first knew about what it was, and how it does great things for the community. I am inspired when I hear the great actions it national honor Society has done and I hope to be a part of this admirable organization. I feel I am qualified to be a part of this organization because of my dedication and hard work. Every day I follow the same routine. I go to school and then I either go to work from 5 o 'clock to about 11 o 'clock or go to practice from 7 to 9 PM. I am a very busy person day today, that I keep a positive outlook on life. Most people who are under stress of the job do not put their best efforts into their

It is crucial that we all work together. As a marching band, we need to stop getting stuck on the notion that each section is a separate entity from another. The drum major, the woodwinds, the brass section, the pit, the drum line, the color guard, we are all one voice. This even extends to the idea that some of us are from different towns, different schools, and might be several years apart in age. As drum major, I would strive to unite every member of the marching band both on and off the field.

Many students have the opportunity to work in teams whether it’s a sport or a club that partakes in competitions. For me, that activity is marching band. Although marching band isn’t a sport, it’s similar in the team aspect, except we can have 150 or more other team members. Working in such a large group can be very overwhelming and time consuming. The season starts in late June and can go on well into the months of November or December.

A marching band sectional rehearsal can be fun and still be productive. A section leader can play several games with his group to help improve issues specific to a saxophone player 's technique. Any activity that is part of a saxophone sectional should be specific to the instrument and help improve the player 's individual skill. Playing games unrelated to music should be avoided as they waste the band 's time. Scale Contests Have someone act as the time keeper.