My fondest memories were spent with my band family and I wouldn't trade my time in the band program for the world. The groups you chose to be a part of have a serious impact on who you are as a person and I'm forever grateful I chose music. These are some things I learned during my years on the field.
1. Discipline
Marching band was, and will forever be one of the most physically and mentally demanding things I've ever done. From 12 hour band camp days during the summer to 180 jumping jacks a day, it was pretty intense. Not to mention following drill commands and keeping your posture perfect at all times...or else.
2. Teamwork
200+ people quickly moving around in close quarters with instruments/flags calls for a little cooperation. My band director used to make the reference that on a football or basketball team you have a "star player". In band, every member of the ensemble is a star player. We can't succeed without one another.
3. Multitasking
"If you would've asked me to remember 100+ places I'm supposed to stand on a football field, the path I need to take to get from one spot to the next, and how many counts/steps I need to take to get there before I joined the marching band, I would've thought you were crazy. If you asked me to do all of that while proficiently playing my instrument with complex music involved, I would've thought you were mentally unstable. Somehow we do all of that and much more though. We're crazy good at it too..like robots or something
4. What It Means To Laugh Until It Hurts
The bus rides on the way to and from competitions will literally bring tears to your eyes and stabbing pains to your sides. It was all totally worth it though.
5. How To Persevere
The going definitely gets tough sometimes. A couple hard practices and a not-so-great football game performance can really put a bad vibe on you, but we learned how to cope with that and most importantly, how to come back stronger and better than ever.
6. What It Means To Be Emotionally Involved In Something
I can't tell you how many times I got into my mom's car after a practice and cried on the way home, over one thing or just everything altogether. When you're in marching band, it truly becomes your life. You eat, sleep, and think band the entire season. When something goes wrong, or is just not going right, it's personal. The band isn't something you're in; you are the band.
7. Meaning Of Friendship
Sometimes friendship is helping someone zip up their uniform jacket, or sometimes it's hugging and consoling one another after a loss. Regardless, I never knew true friendship until my first band camp. We all signed up to do this crazy activity together and we have to help each other through it every single day.
8. Building Bonds
I have made friends through the band program that I will have until the day I die. Being in a group of people that is as passionate about music as you are is so rewarding. Even after graduation, we still share the bond we developed in our time under the lights together, and we will always be family.
9. Overcoming Loss
Before band I hadn't really been a part of anything super competitive, so our first loss took a hit on me. I didn't know how to handle it, but I knew one thing for sure; I didn't want it to happen again. And that is exactly what our band director told us after that night. Give everything you do 100%, because after finals there are no redo's. Make every practice count.
10. Celebrating Victories
Winning a competition is so exhilarating. You can feel the energy rip through the ensemble when we hear our name called as Grand Champion. The moment when you collectively realize all of our blood, sweat, and tears (literally) over hours of practice was worth it...I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything. Plus, the bus rides back home were always hype after winning.
11. How To Comfortably Sleep On A Bus
Now that the serious part of this list is over, we can talk about what you REALLY learn in marching band. Competitions wear us out. 7 A.M. to 3 A.M. is a pretty long day if you ask me, and cuddling up with your best friends on the way home sounds wonderful. Unfortunately school buses aren't really made for luxury living, so we had to get creative. Feet up on the windows, stretched across the aisle; you name it, us band geeks have seen it done.
12. How To Change Clothes In Front Of 200+ People
Coming back to the buses after awards is absolute chaos. People are everywhere. Trying to put up their instruments, load the truck, take off uniforms, etc. It gets cray cray. Changing clothes in the middle of all of this can get interesting..I'll just leave it at that.
13. How To Laugh At Yourself
Anyone in marching band knows how mortifying falling can be. I mean, honestly, we're going so fast and in all different directions, how could we not? But at the end of the day, you just have to laugh it off and move on.
14. Water. Is. Everything.
'Nuff said.
15. How To Have Fun
Really that's what we're all here for. Being in my high school marching band was such a rewarding experience and to anybody that might be thinking about it, do it. You will not regret it.
