I was always a lazy type of person in my middle school days. I didn't really care what class I had or how easy the class itself was. It was after I began high school that I picked band as one of my class periods. Honestly speaking, the reason I even chose being in band was because I needed an extra curricular class and I loved music so I took the course. Little did I know the course was about to help me grow up as a better person.
In high school the band wasn't just a simple concert band like in most middle schools, it was also a marching band that goes to football games on a specific day, in my case every Friday, for support. We had marching practice every Tuesday and Thursday from right after school until late afternoon.
At first this annoyed me, marching band already took up most my time and what I really wanted to do was just play music with my choice of instrument until the period was over then head home, do homework and then do nothing. However as I looked around most people really didn't care about it, they all just remained focused on the goal and that was marching a successful movement.
That was the moment I realized that I shouldn't be complaining about this at all. These students may or may not be in my position so I decided not to whine about my problems and instead chose to train myself to handle these type of situations. After a few months I started to like marching band and decided to take it again throughout my high school years.
Another way band helped me grow up was because it forced me to academically challenge myself. I took easy courses in my freshmen year because I just wanted an A and to be done with the class. It's because of this that I really didn't see school as something I needed to take seriously.
When I joined band I saw other students taking higher level courses like AP (Advancement Placement) classes. Yes, they have fun, but when it comes time for school they were serious in every way. This made me look at school differently, so after my freshmen year was over and my sophomore year began, I signed up for advanced classes like Honors Chemistry and Honors Geometry.
As the weeks went on I found myself being challenged. I needed to be more active my in studies, so earning an A was hard at first. The results in the end were worth it though, I gained more knowledge then I ever thought possible. Later on, I even took AP courses and did not regret it one bit.
It's incredible how band changed me for the better. It made me not whine about every little detail, but instead be mature about it and figure out a way to adapt to the situation. Academically challenging myself was hard, it was a next level step up for me but I gained a lot out of it, and it was all thanks to band!
