You know how everyone has those topics that they always want to talk about? While each person is unique and has their own topics they enjoy, its easy to spot what a person is passionate about. It is the topic that someone always loves to talk about, they always find a way to fit it into a conversation, and are seen talking about it excitedly. Some people get that way about makeup or fashion, some about movies, others about video games. One of my best friends gets this way about WWE. That topic is something that a person is passionate about, and it really is a beautiful thing to see a person’s face light up when they talk about something they love.

For me, that passion doesn’t lie in books or makeup (though I do love those too); it lies in band. I use band as a large umbrella term here, in it, I include four separate segments that make a whole. The first part is Classical Band, and I call it this because it’s your everyday band class, from elementary school to college, and sometimes even beyond that. For me, Classical Band is the basis for my love of band. I played the piano in elementary school, and when I hit 6th grade I began my adventure on the flute. Had I never joined band class, I wouldn’t have the amount of love for the program as I do today.

The second part that band consists of is parade/pep band. This is the part that seems exciting at first, but then most people dislike later. As a band kid, I never really got into sports, so while it was nice to get into every home football game and every home basketball game for free, being stuck watching a game I was not into was not a good time. The music, however, made it worth it. Instead of playing classical music we played classic rock. The songs were short and sweet, meant to get the crowd interested in the game and hyped up. Not only did we play the classic hits, we also got into some pop music, which made the crowd jump even higher. Sometimes people would sing and dance along, which really made suffering through the game worth it.

The third part is almost my favorite: MARCHING BAND. Marching Band was always full of life and energy. It was amazing, to me, to see the music combined with the visuals to create a masterpiece. I personally completed 5 seasons of marching band, and though my summers were full I loved every part of them. At band camp, I made memories with people who grew to be a family. My section (flutes) became like sisters, and every moment with them was a beautiful one. Those years of Marching Band really meant so much to me.

While Marching Band is amazing, I said it was almost my favorite because my top spot goes to the fourth “band”: Indoor Percussion (also known as Winter Drumline). Indoor Percussion is very similar to Marching Band, in concept. You take music written for the show, add visuals and effects, and create a beautiful piece of work. Big difference between the two? Indoor Percussion is only percussion instruments! The music is made with only percussion instruments, not a wind instrument in site. Indoor Percussion means so much to me because, like Marching Band, it formed a family. The biggest part about it, though, is the passion on the floor. The way band worked at my high school was if you were in band class you were a part of the marching band, but you had the choice to do drumline. That option made it so the people who had a passion for the program were there, and it is a beautiful thing. I formed a friendship through the shows that will never be lost.