I don't know about you, but I always get a little excited when I feel the first chill of fall in the air. It reminds me of bonfires, scarves, football, pumpkins, and so much more. This fall is different than those I have known for the past several years. It is my first fall in college and my first without marching band. For four years of my life, fall meant fun stands tunes, Tuesday night rehearsals, finding plume feathers in my car, and Saturday competitions with my band family. The decision to retire my marching shoes was not an easy one to make but proved necessary for the direction I was headed in. Even so, my years in the high school marching band were far from a waste. I learned valuable lessons many do not learn until adulthood and formed friendships I feel will last a lifetime. Here are some lessons I picked up from my marching band experience:

1. Everyone has a meaningful purpose.

This was my last time in full-uniform, marching down Main Street U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom.

Tammy Austin

Marching band is a team unlike any other. Whereas most teams rotate members and never have every person playing at the same time, the marching band requires every single member to be actively participating at all times. If one person is not doing well, they cannot be benched, but have to push through. After all, the show must go on.

2. We are all in this together.

I don't really remember this picture being taken, but based on our reactions, I would assume the phrase "one more time" had just been used.

Monica Eubanks

As previously noted, every member of the band is on the field at all times. One person's mistake is the entire group's mistake. We are never singled out or applauded on an individual basis unless one of us has a solo. Even then, the person's identity is hidden behind the same uniform every other player on the field is wearing. We are all represented by the product of the entire group. For this very reason it is crucial we pick each other up in times of need, both on the field and off the field, helping a younger student understand a difficult piece of music, or maybe even giving a peer advice on how to move during a specific set of drills. There may be an "i" in marching band, but we never act like it.

3. The world does not revolve around me. I am simply a part of the bigger picture.

One person can alter the entire form of a set, but it is the responsibility of the entire band to adjust so the final product is accurate.

Monica Eubanks

For those who do not know, finding out the identity of a person in a specific uniform is nearly impossible. My own parents were fooled more than once by mistaking another tall brunette on the field for me. But, you know what? It does not matter. I proudly took credit for whatever type of show my marching band put on the field. If my marching band had an unsuccessful performance, then I did as well. Who cares if I played every note perfectly and hit every line with obvious clarity if those I am meant to support and cooperate with did not? Many in today's society are burdened with the need to have constant praise. They want someone cheering them on after every task, telling them how amazing they are (even better when it is in comparison to someone else.) I felt satisfied and humbled knowing this praise did not lurk in every shadow for me. I received personal congratulations at times, but I knew they should not be expected, especially when others truly deserved it more. My true pride came from comments of how amazing my band was, watching those I mentored grow, and the occasional (yet oh so sweet) standing ovation at the end of a performance.

4. Celebrations are only as good as the people you celebrate with.

If this picture had sound it would be Queen's "We Are the Champions." I was hoarse the next morning after screaming that night.

Monica Eubanks

For those who have never experienced marching band from an insider's point of view, the words "Grand Champion" may not have as sentimental of an effect on you as it does me. I have had my share of personal successes, just as anyone else, but all of those combined do not measure to the successes I shared with my band family. We are a team. We go through every difficult rehearsal, hot day of band camp, and musical struggle together. It sounds miserable, but it makes victory so much sweeter. In my freshman year, my marching band went almost an entire season without receiving a Grand Champion. The whole band felt defeated. We worked so hard, yet we had nothing to show for it. That was until the final competition. That night, we won it all. As soon as the title was announced, the entire band rushed onto the field, dragging each other along as we screamed, cried, and celebrated more than we had all season. The best part: I was in the middle of it all. The sight of 120 happy high school students is rare, but after seeing it with my own eyes, I can truly share it is one of the most amazing images I have ever seen!

5. Everyone is a dork; some people are just better at hiding it.

Moving props back to the band room seems like it would be tedious, but it never was (especially when you consider how many awkward moments we had moving this barrel.)

Tammy Austin

I'm sure you have heard the phrase "Dance like no one's watching." I never understood what this meant until I walked into my high school band room one morning to find a conga line formed with "September" blasting through someone's boombox. Most likely would have walked out or wondered what was wrong with those kids. I, on the other hand, joined in. I mean, how else are you supposed to celebrate September 21st? That is not even the most unusual thing I experienced in the marching band. When we would run laps around the track before rehearsal (yes, we do conditioning in marching band,) it was a normal occurrence for someone to be singing the "Rocky" theme song. While taking the show props back to the band room one night after a half-time performance, a group broke out into an acapella of Toto's "Africa." In addition, I have been serenaded by kazoos, recorders, and ukuleles more than I can count. There was also that time a student ripped his pants on the field, another time when we used leftover pizza boxes to slide down a steep hill during the dinner break of a competition, and then that competition it rained so much we all had to air out our instrument cases. I could spend hours telling more stories, but what happens in the band room must stay in the band room…

6. Any situation can be enjoyable if you look at it the right way.

The class of 2018 clarinets, we could never take a decent picture.

Mackenzie Sames

Have you ever had the worst day ever, but then something happened and it turned your entire day around? The band did that for me every single day of high school. No matter what heartbreak, bad grades, or stressful assignment I faced, the band was always there to make it better. Whether they did so unintentionally or simply by being themselves, they never failed to put a smile on my face. Even the saddest of situations can be turned into one of the most humorous stories when told to the right people.

7. Love is the most treasured gift I will ever receive.

This started as a selfie with my clarinet section, but turned into half the band in a matter of seconds.

Natalie Austin

Trophies are great, but they are nothing in comparison with the support and friendship I received from my fellow band members over the years. Even as a college student, I still feel a connection to those I previously marched with. Marching band brought me some of my best friends who I would never trade for all the Grand Champions in the world. They spam my phone with texts, tackle me with hugs, and talk with me about anything and everything. Want a loyal friend? Look to the marching band.

8. Everyone has a story to tell.

Yes, those ponchos were terribly hot, but they made for one of the best shows ever!

Karin Sames

Every show a marching band puts on has much more to do with than showing the cool shapes a bunch of teenagers with instruments can make on a football field. In my four years, the stories told within my band were inspiring, humorous, and downright beautiful. My senior show was a story revolved around community and coming together from different backgrounds to help each other in times of need. To me, this show embodied everything my past four years of marching band had meant to me. To others, it dealt with current events as our nation faced natural disasters. Others thought it was a retelling of "The Good Samaritan Parable" as we helped others who could give us nothing in return. There were countless interpretations of this one story, but all hold a deep meaning for each student who performed. There is so much to learn from the opinions and ideas of others around me, and the band conditioned me to put this into practice.

The marching band makes up one of the largest stepping stones in my life. It transitioned me into adulthood and made my years of high school beyond memorable. Retiring my clarinet was the most bittersweet experience as I said goodbye to such an extraordinary chapter of my life and welcomed in the new life I would enter as I left high school. Even as I encounter fall for the first time as just another face in the stands, I am blessed to have been molded in such powerful ways by my band, ways that have benefited me as I make new friends, learn new things, and deal with difficult days. I may never take part in marching band again, but I will carry its effects with me for the rest of my life.