Marching band was one of my favorite activities I participated in during high school. Playing spectacular arrangements of music, getting to spend Friday nights with your favorite people and getting to improve my musical abilities while being active are just some of the many things I miss and greatly cherish about my high school career. To commemorate my high school friends' return to marching season, here's a list of ten things I miss about high school marching band:
1. Amazing musical arrangements.
It sounds somewhat nerdy to get excited over a thoroughly developed and harmonized arrangement of music, but people's opinions and judgments of me won't stop me from doing it! From the music I get to perform during halftime to fun stands music, both professional and student arrangements alike make it impossible to stop practicing it.
2. Band camp.
We've all heard the joke "This one time at band camp..." but band camp is so much more than it's lived up to be. From freshman band camp to senior band camp, I've experienced sweat, pain, glory, shame, tears, nausea and laughter. Some of the best friends I have today I've made during band camp, and I'm definitely going to visit during band camp when I come back from college.
3. My band director.
My band director has been one of the most hardworking, strong, caring teachers I've had. She made sure to push me to my greatest potential and made me realize that I'm so much more than I give myself credit for. For those band members who don't know her too well yet, she can definitely give off an intimidating impression, though, deep down, she truly cares about every individual of the band and only wishes for your best effort and success.
4. Band trips.
Every other year my high school marching band gets to travel all over America to perform music to diverse people in unique locations. For example, my freshman year we traveled all the way to Hawaii and was privileged to have the opportunity to perform on the USS Missouri for war veterans. This enriching opportunity, along with getting to chill at the beach with friends, exploring the Dole Plantation, spending the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center and participating in a scavenger hunt all around Waikiki, contain some of the most memorable experiences I've ever had.
5. Competitions.
Marching season all leads up to the main attraction — marching MPA. Marching MPA is the district marching competition that us band members look forward to every season. The adrenaline of the whole event along with getting to watch other amazing high school bands make MPA exciting instead of just bearable. On that day, all of our hard work gets put to the test, and the "Band-a-Grams" from family members and other marching students are a nice touch.
6. Mosh pits.
The best part of Friday night football games were the after parties. If our football team won the game that night, all the band kids would run back to the band room, strip their uniforms off as quick as possible and head outside in front of the band room to sing and dance to cadences via the drumline. This mosh pit would last around 10-20 minutes, depending on who we won against. Thanks, drumline!
7. Being a part of something.
Marching band has provided me with the opportunity to work with other students who share the same passions that I have to ultimately put on an amazing show for the crowd. Trying to create the perfect formations on the field while playing interesting, fun music is difficult for individuals to do. However, when the band works as a team to become visually and audibly unison, our hard work finally pays off. Marching band allowed me to be a part of something bigger than myself, learn to put others before myself, and form bonds with some of the best people I know.
8. The quest to uncover next year's marching show theme.
Every summer lies the mystery of what the band's theme will be for the next show. Although drumline learns the new theme before the rest of the band, trying to decipher with friends what the new theme will be becomes more of a competitive game to play among the band. The marching show themes I got to participate in were Disney villains, rain, Motown and opera. Good luck to current band members trying to figure out what this year's show will be!
9. Water day.
If any freshman are currently reading this, please skip over No. 9. Only sophomores, juniors and seniors get excited over the anticipation of water day every band camp. Water day is a band camp day that local firetrucks spray us down in the field with their hoses and we band students get to play around in the water after a long, hot day. This unique experience is one of the most memorable of mine from band camp.
10. Pushing myself to be the best I can be.
Whether it's my band director, fellow bandmates or myself, marching band has pushed me past my limits and worked me hard in order to be the best musician, marcher and teammate I can be. Without that extra push from others, I don't think I would be nearly as good of a player or marcher. I'm forever grateful to be part of a strong group of individuals that encourage each other to try their best and never give up.
Although I am not continuing with marching band in college, I do not regret at all being in marching band in high school. Everything I've experienced, learned and felt during these four years will live on with me forever, and my passion for music continues to this day because of my marching band experience. If you've never been in marching band, I highly encourage you to at least try it; you never know what you might learn from us band nerds.
