Marching band. An activity where you would see a group of people playing music and walking around making cool shapes at the same time. But marching band is more than that. There are factors that can play into a normal lifestyle. Here are eight things that I was able to take from four years of high school marching band and put them into my everyday lifestyle.

1. Time Management

I have had to manage both homework and friendships during the fall because I would have to be at school at six o'clock for rehearsals. I had to plan out how I would do school projects in order to get them done either before or on their due dates. I was lucky enough to be able to have a study hall at the end of the school day my sophomore year and to be able to go home on a release period at the end of the day my senior year so I could get a couple of assignments done.

I also had to send many "sorry I have marching band practices" texts to my non-marching band friends.

2. Teamwork

Just like a normal job, if someone is not at a marching band rehearsal during a crucial time, it can be a big downfall for the group. Everyone has a big part in the band, whether it be memorizing music or remembering where their dots are in a formation. Some bands might establish a chain of command, which is just like how one might establish a chain in the workforce.

3. Leadership

My senior year, I was given the opportunity to be co-section leader with my friend. It was a big responsibility, but I was able to lead not only my section, but also know that I was a part of a group of seniors who want to do something great for the season. Leadership can accomplish a lot whether it is achieving a certain amount of paperwork or customers by the end of a month or qualifying for state marching band competition.

4. Disagreements

Well not everyone can be best friends in life. This is the same with marching band. There will definitely be arguments and disagreements within the band between other members and even with the band director, but it is a normal part of how life works. Not everything is all fun and games, but I learned to just try to find compromises in the situations.

5. Relationships

Of course, with there being people who will not like each other in life, there are also relationships, whether platonic or romantic. Marching band is like one big platonic relationship and mix in romantic relationships between members also. I have seen couples begin and end during the marching band season and also in the off-season too, and like life it can be hard to keep up with relationships and then you find out either when one person tells you or their status on Facebook changes to them in a relationship with this person.

6. Multi-tasking

Marching band is already big when it comes to multi-tasking because it makes the participant both march and play an instrument all at the same time. In connection with that, participants have to memorize music at the same time. In everyday life, I have had to multi-task a lot, whether it be talking to a family member on the phone while vacuuming my house or doing homework and eating at the same time.

7. Sacrifice

Like every day, I have to sacrifice certain things in order to achieve a goal. I've had to sacrifice going out with friends because of a big test that was happening the next day in the past. The same goes with marching band. I have had to sacrifice a similar situation of going out with friends either because I had rehearsal, a game, or a competition out of town or out of state.

8. A sense of belonging

If marching band hasn't made me feel like I belong, then I do not know what has. Marching band made me meet people that I did not think I would endup becoming close with within a time period. With that, I know that there are others that like similar things as me out in the world outside of high school marching band.