To whom it may concern,

I was involved in the Maumee marching band from 2009-2013. I was saddened to recently find out that Maumee may not have a competition band in the upcoming years. I was in the color guard and learned so many valuable experiences from competing in the many competitions throughout the years. While in the marching band, I learned discipline, confidence and a sense of pride.

The band teachers and instructors, specifically Mr. Cintron, taught the whole band discipline. We were to be to practice on time and ready to practice. We also had to be well disciplined as a whole band because this was a team sport. If one person was late or not together, the whole band suffered.

While performing with the band and color guard at competitions, I felt the most confident that I had ever felt. We were skilled at what we were doing and it made the whole band feel good. In 2011 we got all 1's at States. This is the best rating that a band can get. The same year, the color guard got all 1's at every competition we attended. We always came in first place at the Bowling Green competition. This is better than most of the other sports teams/extracurricular activities from recent years.

I am proud to have been a member of the Maumee Marching Pride. We were and still are like a family. This Friday, there is an alumni band for homecoming. I can bet that there will be more alumni there than students that are still in the band today. The band family is understanding and many people are still friends today after graduating many years ago.

If the band program turns into just a Friday night football band, Maumee will be losing a great organization. These kids that are in the band now will be missing out on such a great experience. They won't have to be as responsible as we once were. After all, there won't be any need to practice outside of school because there will be mo formations on the field to learn. They won't be competing so the focus on perfection will be gone. The funniest part of band was getting to travel to different schools and compete against other students our age. Some people even made friends with kids from other schools this way.

The experiences that I was able to have because of the band are experiences that I would not have had without the band. My sophomore we went to Philadelphia and New York City. We marched in the Thanksgiving Parade in Philadelphia. My senior year, the band went to Canada. There were many trips the band went on before my time in band. We would not have experienced these things without competition band.

The staff involved with the band are phenomenal. Many of them are graduates of Maumee High School and participated in band. They are dedicated to the competition process and the students they teach. They love marching band as much as the students they are teaching. It would be a shame to see the love and hard work of all the students and staff be for nothing. The competition band is important to so many students, parents, staff and residents of Maumee.

I hope the decision to cut the competition band is not taken lightly. The band is special to Maumee and many of its residents. Please take into consideration how enriching the whole band experience can be for a teenager. For me, the four years I was in the marching band were the most fulfilling experience of my life. Some of you may have children in the band program from grades 5-12. Please know that band is important and so are all of the musical arts.

Sincerely, Elyse Taylor