Marching Band Struggles

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

What is the real definition of insanity? Merriam Webster’s definition is “severe mental illness : the condition of being insane.” Albert Einstein’s definition is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. And my definition is “running the same set over and over again expecting the freshmen to hit their set.” Unfortunately, this is a daily occurrence for members of a marching band, who spend countless hours walking from one side of a field to another just so that they can perform at a game while the audience is at the concessions. This illusion of importance gives most bands an egotistical view of themselves and an unjustified self confidence. They build themselves up with dreams of making

Meet my Jazz band. This is a picture of us in New Orleans my junior year during spring break to play Jazz. I decided upon this picture because this band has had such a profound impact on how I frame my future.

Did you know that marching band members spend so much time putting drill on the field for an entire summer break?The Friday nights, and Saturday afternoons we spend on a football field? The energy, sweat, and pride we put onto a football field or parking lot? All this, but unfortunately, marching band is still known for an “elective”.

For drummers to master the elusive beat, for the conductor to stand on the bandstand again

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 band is a huge commitment, but if a students is part of color-guard or the drum line... the phrase “free time” leaves their vocabulary. The practices start even earlier in the year and go even longer. Not only are there separate judges for color-guard and drumline, but there are also separate competitions: Winter Guard and Drum Corps. Both groups go all the way to international competitions. Marching band is a physical activity as much as a mental one. The three reasons marching band should be a sport are: marching band is a physical activity; bands compete against other bands and win trophies, and band members can qualify for scholarships or other financial benefits.

The time is now. The roaring crowd settled, the stadium lights shined above us, the field was set. It was time to show the audience how much dedication, sweat, and tears were put in the show right before the eyes. The masterpiece, I like to call it. The hardest part however, is making it seem so effortlessly. Welcome to Marching Band.

Easy to encounter, not so easy to overcome, failures claw at hopes and successes. They bring down those who are weak enough to let them in. They strengthen those that can get past them. I got past one that almost ruined my chances for new opportunities.

Marching band; copious amounts of people scoff at the sound of those words. I often hear students commenting on how easy marching band is, how we don’t train like the football players do. At Anderson High School, that’s not the case, the marching band trains for just as long. As a band of over 125 individuals, it takes determination, pride, and confidence to achieve the goals we have set forth to accomplish. As a leader of the saxophone section, I know what it’s like to face failure, to overcome and turn it into success and to march on with confidence. I know exactly how to motivate my underclassmen when they tell me “I can’t do this anymore.” Over the last four years, I have succeeded in leading my group of 13 saxophone players to two State

Marching band is the place where the intelligent students are. Musicians are “great problem solvers in school and social situations” because they have a stronger corpus callosum, the part of the brain that connects the two halves.(Berman) When an outsider joins band their minds are opened into a whole new world. This is because when a person is making music there is not only one place in the brain that is being activated. A musician is using parts of the brain that have to do with the visual, auditory, and motor functions of the brain. People who play a musical instrument are working multiple parts of their brain at once making it easier for them to remember information more. Think about it, a person who is in a band class, or any musical class for that matter, usually has high grades and is good at

Overall the marching band has taught me many lessons that I will carry with me throughout my life, and the three that stand out to me are having the ability to display positivity to help make it through anything, how to serve others as a leader and when it won’t be seen, and respecting things other than people, for example, the efforts of others and criticism. I consider these three lessons to all help build up my character, which was also greatly shaped by band, and will never be the

Throughout my high school career, I was forced into many situations where I was challenged to connect with my peers and serve as a role model for future students. Whether it be my involvement in the school marching band, or helping students in community tutoring sessions, I have always made it my goal to better the people around me through my own efforts. Throughout my high school career, I have put forth my best effort to connect with my peers, transform individuals, and make a difference in my community.

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.

What if there is one activity that can benefit students in every school across the nation? An activity that helps students to raise their grades and scores on standardized testing? An activity that allows students to form lasting friendships? An activity that will help students become more disciplined and confident? Would you let your child take that activity? It is very likely that you answered yes to one of these questions. Who doesn’t want the best for their children? Luckily, this “activity” is accessible almost everyone. Unfortunately, many schools will not make it a part of their curriculum. This “activity” is something that everyone is aware of, but easily neglected. This activity is music.