Personal Narrative Essay: Why Did I Die In Marching Band

The Madison Scouts are the epitome of a marching band. The longest running “official” marching band in existence has a very long history. They however were and continue to be very successful in the drum corp world. Winning multiple world and DCI championships, The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps continues to be the only strong male Drum Corp in existence. It was in the depression year of 1938 that a group of Madison, Wisconsin, businessmen attended a Racine Scouts performance and forthwith decided that Madison needed its own drum corps.

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

When I was selected to play in the 2015 All-State honor band, my dream transpired. Since the seventh grade I have participated in jazz band along with concert band; I now play in my high school 's most selective jazz band. Humbled by my elite group members, I accept many improvisation solos to express my ideas and find my place among

Welcome to Marching Band. “Marching band is for dorks and nerds that have nothing to do”, I used to think to myself. After all, the media has portrayed band students to be this way. How could I not think that band kids had no social life and were all geeky! It was a flaw of mine to believe the stereotypes, but after my friend constantly insisted in me trying out for the color guard, I could not say no.

It's hard to stay optimistic in a Challenge, sometimes you want to give up and quit. But in the end you have to stay with it. Whether it be getting a new job, starting college, learning to drive, working in a group you don't want to be in ,and even playing a new instrument. You have to try your hardest to stay together and keep going for your friends, family, and for yourself. One of the hardest challenges for me was switching instruments the end of the eighth grade year for the marching band that next fall.

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.

What marching band means to me I have a bracelet I wear all the time. It says on it ‘music for all.’ That is what keeps me going. Music holds a special place my heart, it has been with me through everything.

Joining band had an immense and almost immediate impact on my life. Before being in band I had never had a talent that I felt completely confident in. I enjoyed practicing and spent many hours trying to improve my musical ability. In

I believe in marching band. I believe in blood, sweat, and tears. I believe in working hard not only for yourself, but also for the other 90 people on the field with you. I believe that if someone can get through a season without sweating, bleeding, and crying a few times throughout the season, they don’t deserve to call themselves a marching band member. I’ve spent each summer since I was a freshman in high school on the black pavement for 9 hours a day.

The performance was a silent reminder of my first and last year of middle school band. I attended the Middle School Band Festival performed by the 4 middle schools put into 2 groups. Newton and Powell Middle School performed first followed by a cooperation of Goddard and Euclid Middle school. The ensemble began to The performance was concert consisting of 4 songs per group with a total of 8 songs. The first 2 songs Semper Fidelis by John Philip Sousa, arranged by Paul Lavender and Mars by Gustav Holst arranged by Johnnie Vinson were conducted by Powell’s Music Director Mrs. Jenkins.

The following year, we were invited to march in the 2015 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, which stretched the end of our marching season from the typical October to the beginning of January. This past year we traveled to Indianapolis again and performed a show that, although it placed seventh in finals, emotionally moved every soul in our program deeply. I have invested so much time and hard work into my high school marching band, and it has helped me come a long way in terms of balancing a busy schedule with a large workload. I have learned how to become a successful peer mentor through band leadership, and have grown more confident in my abilities as a student and

In marching band, it takes a lot of dedication. If someone is going to be in marching band, they will have to put in the time and the effort. Marching bands everywhere practice for hours in the heat; always memorizing their spots on the field, their music, and their visual effects. Everything about band is stressful because it constantly cuts in on a band members social life, but after they perform they will feel great.

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,

It was also pajama day at school. On the second day of my observation the students had to write their name on a start and then cut out the star. After they were finished they made birthday cards for their principle. That day their school theme was Broadway/Disney characters, and all of the students were dressed up. They were so adorable, and so confident on what they wore.

Band has given me tons of friends and lessons in life that I will remember and carry on with me