I walked into the band room with my heart in my throat, my hands twisting into knots. Why was I here? I didn’t want to be in band- it looked like so much work. I sat before the 5th grade band director, who proceeded to hand me a variety of different mouthpieces and ligatures to find the best fit. My hombrecher was too loose for the trumpet, my hands too small for the saxophone. We finally decided on the clarinet. Now, my clarinet is is my key to a world I belong in. My favorite part of the day is the 45 minutes I spend in this room with my school’s elite performance group Wind Ensemble. My ensemble members are my family, the band wing is our home. While we may get frustrated with the trumpets for playing too loud, or upset with the percussionists
For many years I have been known for being a very talented athlete. But what many people do not know is that I was once in the Elba Marching band. Being in the band has taught me a lot of things, like reading music, discipline and organization. The most interesting thing about the band was that we had to learn how to read music. At first this was a challenge for me, but I soon got the hang of it.
("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
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. My connection with music through the piano has been fostered ever since I could reach those shiny black and white collection of keys. Starting at the age of four, playing the classical music of Mozart and Bach was what my musical background was founded upon, with tangible medals and accomplishments as achievements.
On Wednesday, the 18th of May, I attended and participated in the Final Band Concert of the year. Throughout the year, all band students continually practice pieces and the Final Band Concert is the only concert to have every band student in it from fifth grade all the way up to twelfth. This concert is always very special because it is both the first large concert for the fifth graders and the last for many students. The concert started from the Fifth Grade Band, then to the Junior 6th Grade, Advanced 7th and 8th Grade band, and finally to the High School Concert Band. The concert began exactly on time at 19:00.
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
At Marcus High School, I stayed involved heavily with band and drumline. These extracurriculars demanded immense time management and a sharp level of focus. During sophomore, junior and senior years, I was able to join the student leadership corps and become the leader of the Snareline, an instrument that requires high concentration in comparison to the rest of the band. I was tasked with making sure the incoming students understood their music, and if unable, I taught them. This position led me to become an understanding leader with the desire for greatness.
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.
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 play six instruments including Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Clarinet, Mellophone, and Piano, and I sing in my Church Choir as well. I have the honor of being principal chair on Alto Saxophone in Symphonic Band, as well as a featured soloist in the 12 O’Clock Big Band. I have applied for student leadership in Marching Band next year as well. Athletics at Central Dauphin have taught me important skills of teamwork, sportsmanship, and camaraderie. My musical involvement has also shown me that hard work and practice can make anything
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
Despite my passion for athletics, I have spent the majority of my high school career involved in show choir. I participate in the Executive Session at Sauk Prairie High School. Show choir incorporates training under professional choreographers, undergoing numerous voice lessons, and traveling the country for competitions. This self-disciplinary activity pushes me to work hard and strive for perfectionism while taking leadership roles in a professional environment. Furthermore, show choir allows me to impact others through my performance and to take risks.
I start off everyday by getting ready and heading to school. When I get there, I walk into the choir hall and prepare for an hour and a half long rehearsal that I know will leave me tired. We always start with ten or twenty minutes full of physical exercise. When that is done, we move into breathing exercises that always somehow seem more physically demanding. Finally, we get to singing; which is my favorite part of the whole day.
She gets off the bus and runs home to her mom begging her to email the band teacher and get her a clarinet. The director unsure at first because of how far behind she will be, agrees to let her join band. Six years later, this once little girl grew up to be a section leader for the clarinet section and a drum major her senior year. She found joy in
Practicing cello allows me to become a better musician, but moreso a responsible and driven individual. It continuously reminds me that the most worthwhile achievements require hard work. Jazz is one of those achievements. Through becoming a technical and theory-driven classical musician performing in music competitions and in my region’s youth symphonies, I stumbled across jazz one day and was immediately drawn toward its intricate chord progressions and complex improvisations. A year later I performed for residents of a nursing home.
Band has given me tons of friends and lessons in life that I will remember and carry on with me