Early mornings, long bus rides, black socks, and good music. That's what I think of when I look back on my six years in marching band. It seems like it's true that you never quite know what you have until it's gone, because it was only after my final season had ended that I began to realize just how much I had learned and accomplished throughout my six years in the Midland Park High School Marching Band. Marching Band is so much more than getting up early to go to a competition, spending long summer days learning your place on the field, and playing pep songs at football games. I made great friends, helped set a new school record, and fostered my passion for music. Even beyond that, I acquired a set of skills and countless lessons that I would use long after I marched off the field for the last time. Here's what I learned in high school marching band.

1. Importance of deodorant.

Marching band is a sweaty activity. Many people may not think so, but it surely is. When you’re on a bus with 50 other people who just finished running around on a field wearing heavy uniforms in the late summer heat, you realize just how much you take deodorant for granted on a daily basis. After my first years in marching band I started carrying around enough deodorant not only for myself but to share with those who may have forgotten.

2. How to change without shame or indecency absolutely anywhere.

You think changing in the locker room was awkward the first time? Imagine completely changing on a bus with 40 other people that is parked about 1 foot from another bus with about 40 other people who are also changing. After that, all your shame just packs its bags and never comes back.

3. "One more time" never means just one more time.

In marching band, when the director says, “OK, one more time,” it never means one more time. It doesn’t even mean two more times. It probably means five more times. It doesn’t matter if there’s only five minutes left in rehearsal or if you’ve already gone fifteen minutes overtime, one more time never means just one more time.

4. When to goof off and when to get your work done.

Perhaps one of the most valuable lessons I learned from marching band was how to distinguish between the time for jokes and the time for work. From the months of August to October you spend more time with your fellow band members than you do with your family; they become your second family so laughs and jokes are inevitable. Some of the best memories I have from my years in Marching Band are of jokes made and pranks pulled during rehearsal breaks, championship hotel stays, bus rides to competitions, and officer meetings. Regardless, you learn to keep a focus on what you joined marching band for -- to communicate a message and make amazing music together with your fellow band members. Of course, there are times for jokes but you quickly learn to be alert and stay focused, because if you aren't, you might just be run down by a tuba.

5. Punctuality, organization, and discipline.

If you’re 15 minutes early you’re on time, if you’re on time you’re late, and if you’re late you’re screwed. That was basically the marching band motto about punctuality. After six years of marching band, the idea of being fifteen minutes early to absolutely everything is permanently ingrained into my mind. In addition, having to schedule out my time around practices, games, and competitions forced me to become an organized person. Not only did I have to manage my time properly but I had to make sure I came prepared to every practice or performance. Sometimes that just meant my instrument, water, my binder, and a pencil but other times it was a laundry list of twenty things ranging from my uniform to food to black socks to baby wipes.

6. Leave it all out on the field.

Before every competition performance, my band director would give us a pep talk that always included the phrase “leave it all out on the field.” When I first started marching I wasn’t really sure what that meant. As I got older and I became more passionate about music and marching band I realized what he meant. Not only did that mean to give 110 percent physically, but mentally. Sure, you were going to be exhausted when you got off the field after running around for 10 minutes, but you should also be drained from playing your heart out. Music is such a powerful medium for conveying stories and emotions, and to compromise that by not being all in it is to sacrifice the gift that music is.

7. True meaning of friendship.

Marching band is pretty dorky, I can’t even pretend that it’s not. That aside, not only dorks and weirdos join marching band. In fact, some of the best people I have ever had the pleasure to meet and work with I met through marching. You make friends quickly with these people who you spend just about every weekend of the fall season with. In addition, when you spend so much time with the same people they will inevitably see you at your highest and at your lowest. The greatest thing about marching band was always knowing you have another support system that will be there no matter what. Whether it was dealing with the sadness of being off the field because of a bought of bronchitis or celebrating a college decision my marching band family was with me through it all.

8. Power of music to bring people together.

"Music is the universal language of mankind." Longfellow could not be more correct if he tried. The most powerful and poignant lesson that I learned in marching was to understand and appreciate the power of music. It has the power to bring 50 something people of a large ranges of ages together to make something beautiful. It has the power to leave an audience in tears, screaming with joy, or absolutely speechless. Through each season of marching band, I watched a group of students go from practically strangers to the best of friends. I heard passage go from muddy and strained to precise and powerful. Kids who came into the band shy and quiet beginners turned into leaders and musicians. Marching band taught me the power of music on and off the field.