High school isn't easy, at least for me it wasn't. If you weren't a cheerleader or football player, you were not one of the "cool" people in school. For us band kids, the band room was our safe haven from all those people and a place to get away and relax.

So with that being said, thank you for allowing us to hang out in the band room during our down time. And for letting us eat our lunch with you, because you were cooler than all of the people in the cafeteria. Going along with that, thank you for always allowing me to use your microwave!

Thank you for being so supportive of us throughout our four years with you, from wishing us luck on our first day of classes to celebrating when we got accepted to the college we wanted to attend. Even at our graduation day cheering us on the entire time, and trying to hold back the tears.

Thank you for allowing us to vent to you about classwork, friend drama, and homecoming/prom struggles we were having. Though you claimed you were not judging us, deep down we knew you were.

Thank you for telling us those cheesy jokes during band rehearsal, at the time they didn't mean anything, but now looking back at it, it's one thing that sticks with me. "A mushroom walks into a bar..."

Thank you for giving us opportunities that no other kid in school had. From all the band shows, parades, concerts and of course going to Hawaii and being able to play at Pearl Harbor.

Thank you for all the memories we have from high school. Band camp, football games, practices and transitioning those memories to concert band. All eight band concerts and playing Elsa's Procession to the Cathedral with all the Alumni are one of my favorite concert band memories.

Thank you for pushing us to be our best at all times. From playing harder music in concert band to challenge us to letting us realize our mistakes, even though you knew what the outcome was going to be. And simply responding with an "I told you so."

Thank you for still doing your best to keep in touch with us even after we have graduated and moved on with our lives, personally for me it means a lot. Even if it is a quick, "Hi, how are you?," at the band concert or helping with audition pieces for college auditions and nothing else.

And most importantly, thank you for teaching us life lessons without even realizing it. Like the saying you always said, "If you're early you're on time, if you're on time you're late." I have never heard a phrase that would help me so much in college and for years to come.