It is that time of year again! If you are apart of a marching band, rehearsals is about to start if they have not already! You might have mixed emotions because you want band to start back so you can see your friends, but than in the same time you do not want to go because you will eventually have to go out in the heat so you can start learning the drill to the halftime routine. This might be your first year being in the band, so you have no idea what to expect.

I know what all of these feelings are like because I was in the marching band for five years. I started in eighth grade not knowing what to expect and than in the coming years, I wanted to see my friends when band started, but than in the same way I did not want to go practice out in the heat, especially during band camp. Looking back, I will never regret being in the band because of all the great memories.

One of first memories I have is from band camp! We would always be drenched in sweat by the end of the day because we were in Alabama, and it was always hot in the summer. The sun would always be in your eyes no matter where you were standing or where you were facing and it really did not matter whether you had sun glasses on or not because you still had to squint. You would always end the week thinking that you were almost done since band camp was behind you, but as the year went on, you quickly realized that band camp was just the beginning of everything.

Another memory from band is during the practices after school! This took up most of the afternoon when we were done with school for the day. We would have mostly sunny and hot afternoons for rehearsal, but we would also have some rainy and cloudy, cold afternoons that we enjoyed because we didn't sweat as much on those days compared to the sunny and hot days. At the end of every practice, the Brewer High School Marching Patriots would always say a chant to dismiss everyone to go home and remind everyone why we were there and working hard. This is how it went: Director: "Band Tent Hut" Students: "Pride!" Director: "Why are we here?" Students: "To be the best!" Director: "What's the best?" Students: "Different from the rest!" Director: "Who's it going to be?" Students: "The band from BHS" Director: "Dis" Students: "Missed" Director: "Go Home!"

One of the other memories I have from band is from the pep rallies! Our pep rallies at school was not a regular one or one that you would think of. Some years the football players would only stand or sit down the whole time, even though we were cheering for them and trying to get them pumped up for the game. The football players actually interacted with the crowd last year because they were excited about playing and wanted to get pumped up for the game. We would always have games against each class, and they would either be hard games or something that anybody could have thought of. The band would always have fun at the pep rallies because we knew how to have fun and be ourselves. We did not care who was watching us because we were always doing something fun!

Another great memory that I have is from all the car rides going to get something to eat before most of the football games! The last year of being in the band, I had the privilege to take some of my friends with me because they could not drive. We had a blast, even though I only had to drive for like five miles until we came up to either Jack's or Subway! It depended on who went with me each week because sometimes we did not have to be back to the school as early as some afternoons, so it just depended on what their parents wanted them to do. In the past years, my mom and I would go by ourselves to get something to eat because everybody else would have a ride to go somewhere.

Some of the other memories I have is from all the football games! It was always an awesome feeling to march into the stadium in front of everybody because you felt like you were great and you got attention from doing it! We would constantly have a blast in the stands while we played songs, danced to the other bands songs, or to the drum cadences. Even though we were hot and sweaty most of the time, we would still make the best out of it! You could always tell that we were tired and it was at the end of the week because we acted goofy most of the time! Especially when someone was trying to take your picture or we would try to photobomb somebody else's picture!

You can not forget about performing during halftime at the football games! It was always interesting to see what the crowd's response would be to the show each year. It would also be interesting to see how the condition of the field would be. You never knew whether there would be holes, slopes, or even turf on the field! The best moments of performing was when the crowd stood up in applause because they loved the show!

I also have some great memories from all of the different band competitions! We would always compete during the hottest part of the day because of the division we were in. Sometimes the sun would be in our faces, which would result in not being able to see where we were marching, but we somehow was able to march in our forms, because I guess we had the routines memorized by that time. We would always have fun while we watched some other bands perform and while we waited for the results to come in. If it was hot outside, we would try to fan ourselves and drink plenty of water and we would also try to eat as many snow cones as we could if it was being sold on that day. Whenever it was cold outside, we would try to keep hot hands activated and in our hands to help keep us warm. We would also try to huddle as tight as we could with each other so we could stay semi warm. We would try to stay warm with as many blankets that we could put around us that we brought and as many of the hats, scarfs, and gloves that we could fit on us.

In addition to all of these great memories, one of the great memories I have from being in the band is from all the great trips we were able to take during the second semesters of school! During my freshman year, we went to Disney World and we marched in a parade at Epcot. We went to Atlanta for one weekend to see "The Lion King on Broadway" and we also did some sight-seeing stuff while we were there my Sophomore year. During my Junior year, we went to Gatlinburg and did some sight-seeing events and than we perform a couple of songs at Dollywood before we spent a day there. Lastly, during my Senior year of high school, we went to Disney World again to march in a parade in Magic Kingdom on Main Street. Each year, we went on some great trips! I really loved going to Disney World two times, especially this past year! Whenever we went on the trips, it felt like the band would become closer and be more like a family.

After looking and thinking about it, band has made me to enjoy things that are happening at the moment. I would love to go back in time and do all the stuff I experienced in band again, but unfortunately, I can not do that, but that would be awesome! Some of my best friends is from meeting each other in band. I probably would have not had as much fun as I did without all of my friends being in the band.

If it was not for my parents and the other band parents supporting us with the band program. We would have not survived because they were the ones to keep us on our feet and going. My mom was the one to convince me to march my eighth grade year because I was unsure about it. She also encouraged me to stay in the band during high school because she would always tell me that it did not last forever.

You cannot forget about the awesome band directors! They are the ones who make everything possible! I seriously do not know where I would be right now if it was not for them. They make sure you have everything that you need or everything goes the way it should go, even if they are stressed out. This past year, I have felt like I have become closer to them because of their willingness to connect with their students and to just be themselves! It has been eventful in the past five years with different assistant band directors, but they were all great! They all have a special place in my heart, but Mr. Doug Farris, the Band Director at Brewer, will always have a personal place in my heart. He feels like my second dad now because of everything he has done for me in my life! He is always there for you whenever you need somebody or you need something done at school. It is hard leaving him, but I know I will come and visit him and the others when I have the opportunity to. Mr. Farris is one of those who you cannot really explain how he has touched your life, but you just have that feeling. He acted like he was your father while you were in band because he cared for you and everything about you.

Whether you have been in band before or you are contemplating about being apart of the band, I hope this article either brings back memories for you or makes you want to be in the band in the coming years! Band has been a blessing to me and I cannot wait to see where it takes me at Mississippi College!

It has been an honor to be apart of the Brewer High School Marching Patriots, but I am not a MC Choctaw! This next journey in life is going to be awesome! God definitely knew what he wanted me to be apart of during high school. I have no doubt that He will lead me to where He wants me to be apart of in college. I could not have done all of this during high school if it was not for Him!