I honestly felt really out of place at the end of eighth grade; I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. The high school band teacher came to my middle school band class explaining that after being cut for a couple of years, the competitive marching band was going to start up again. I signed up for the competitive marching band in that year, not thinking anything of it.
That summer, I spent countless rehearsals with you strangers. You guys soon became my family. The high school band teacher that came to introduce me to marching band would soon become the person I looked up to.
Going to a marching band rehearsal made me feel like I was at home. Rehearsals could be the most torturous activity, but being surrounded by my section on the field made it bearable. You guys showed me what teamwork means through those rehearsals. I learned that we were only as strong as our weakest link—meaning, we had to work extra hard to tie for third place in 2013. Being in a group with you guys taught me to persevere, and to never give up. Three-hour rehearsal? Okay, we’ll push through. Our marching wasn’t together those last two sets? Run to the fence, and back to our spots. That last set looked almost perfect? The reward we all looked forward to: five-minute water break!
I’ll always treasure the small moments. I’ll never forget the delicious home-cooked foods at competitions; I spent at least 10 dollars a competition to experience the food. Or that one time when we were waiting for the instructors to get back to the bus, and in order to pass time we all performed Kanye West’s “Gold Digger”.
I’m never going to forget that feeling in my heart when we were sitting in the bleachers, and the judge announced our score broke seventy points. That feeling of disappointment when our scores dropped at that one night competition, making it clear that what we worked on didn’t convey to the judges. How on the way back home from the competition, we were told “once again, better”. The rehearsals the week after our dropped scores were announced were dead silent, the low numbers motivating us to persevere. And the one thing I’ll never let myself forget is the sense of pride and achievement that resonated through my body after our performance at championships my senior year.
It’s been almost three years since I last stepped on a field in my marching band uniform. Thank you for everything. Thank you for all the inside jokes. For showing me what teamwork is, what family means, and what pride feels like. I would never trade my high school experience for what it was. Thank you for giving me friendships that I will hold close to my heart, and for helping me become the person I am today. I hope you are all doing well, and that this wonderful group impacted you as much as it impacted me.
Eyes with pride.
Sincerely,
A fellow band member
