Over the past 3 years, marching band has taught me many lessons, including hard work and persistence. But it has also taught me a large amount of patience, because many of the people with whom I've dealt have been far from ideal. Here are just some of the characters who seem to recur in every marching band, regardless of whether or not you want them to.

1. The cool talented person

This person is super good at marching and at their instrument, and they get solos, leadership positions, and other perks, often without even auditioning for them - but no matter how hard you try to resent them for it, you just can't. They're just too cool. You want nothing more than to support them and be talented vicariously through them.

2. The obnoxious talented person

This person is talented, sure, but you hate to admit it because they already know it enough themselves. They think they're entitled to every solo, leadership position, or other perks, and that everybody around them doesn't know what talent is. They may actually be the best, but their attitude is the worst.

3. The scared freshman

This poor kid... They're too awkward to talk to any upperclassmen, and there doesn't seem to be much you can do to convince them that it isn't as bad as it seems. It's only after a few months that these kids start to realize that marching band doesn't reserve much judgment for freshmen and that most of the people there are actually pretty laid back. These freshmen often turn out to be super cool.

4. The cocky freshman

This freshman thinks they're talented enough to qualify for the spot of "cool talented person", but more often than not, they just tell more experienced members what to do and get on peoples' nerves. They would learn much more by listening and paying attention to those who have been in the band for longer than they have, but good luck trying to tell that to them.

5. The one freshman who all the seniors love

Why do all the upperclassmen love this freshman? Nobody knows, not the seniors, not the freshman, and nobody else for that matter. All that anyone is certain of is that the freshman in this position is at some unattainable level of coolness, and all of the underclassmen who aren't this person are insanely jealous.

6. The sophomore who thinks they’re an upperclassman

This sophomore thinks that they've been in the band for a year, so now they get to boss around (aka bully under the guise of "helping) freshmen and act like seniors. HAHA, no, but keep trying.

7. The useless senior

This person has been doing marching band for four years... how the heck can they still not march in time? It blows everyone's mind, but it's too late to bother trying to fix them now. In a year, they won't be anyone's problem anymore.

8. The cool upperclassmen

As an underclassman, these kids were who you aspired to be. As an upperclassman, either you were one of them, or you wanted to be. They might not be the best musicians, but they have an undeniable air of awesome.

9. The complainer who says they’re gonna quit every year but comes back every time

Yeah, marching band isn't always easy, especially not if your band director is competitive. But we all go through the same hellish nightmare. The kids who complain the most, though, are often those who love band the most in the long run.

10. The section leader who lets the power go straight to their head

Ever get the sense that a section leader has gone mad with power? They'll make people run laps, scream indiscriminately, and think that everyone has to respect/listen to them. You do not want to be in this person's section while they're in charge.

11. The section leader that does nothing

Contrast with the section leader who does too much. Their section will be doing things that really warrant reprimand, but this person just doesn't want to enforce anything. They are great if they're your section leader, but not if you're depending on them to lead.

12. The saxist who won’t stop playing “Careless Whisper”

Alright, we get it... you know how to play the song. Can we move on now?

13. The drummer who won’t talk to anyone that doesn’t play percussion

This member of drumline thinks they're too cool to bother talking to anyone who isn't also a drummer. And you know what? They're probably right.

14. The color guard member who goes suuuupppper hard

Colorguard definitely does not get the credit that it deserves. It's super hard, and too often dismissed by those both in and outside of the band. But there is always one member who takes it way too seriously, to the point where they think color guard is either all about them, or that the band needs to center itself all around color guard. C'mon. We're all suffering together.

15. The trumpeter who has never heard of dynamics

Some trumpet players have one volume: LOUD. You don't want to be sitting downwind of them in a practice room.

16. The disgusting couple

Ugh. Please, save it for later.

17. The person wayyyyyy too into marching band

This person is probably really nice and friendly, but their interest in marching band is a bit intense for the rest of us. You can't shake the feeling that this is the reason why other people think band kids are weird.

18. The section that everyone knows is actually a cult

What is their section leader actually teaching them? Nobody knows; we're all too scared to find out.

19. The person only there to go on the band trip

There's an odd amount of respect for this person. They know what they want, and they go after it. Fair enough.

20. Your best friend

In marching band, you will meet lifelong best friends. And you will become all the better for it.

BONUS: 21. Yourself

This sounds cliche, but being in marching band will teach you a lot about who you are. It will push you to your limits and change you as a person.