1. The amount of innocent pencils broken by Mrs. Kennebeck

If you were in the flute section, you’ll especially know because you constantly had to be on the lookout for flying pencil pieces.

2. The feeling you have when you walk in the band room on the first day of band camp your freshman year

You’re filled with a feeling that you’re not sure if you’re actually excited or terrified.

3. The “post chair testing” drama. Every. Single. Year.

We all anxiously wait for the chair testing results just to deal with more drama.

4. Climbing up to the loft

Everyone has crawled through the hole in the cubbies, through the narrow wall, and climbed up to the top of the band room at least once in their band career.

5.The band trips to Chicago

If you were lucky enough to go on one of these, you were in for a real treat! Nothing better than being on a coach bus for six hours with a bunch of your crazy, obnoxious band friends to make the time fly by. But that also means seeing an awesome music event like the "Blue Man Group".

6. Bandstock.

The reason Wausau West doesn’t do marching band is because of this thing called Bandstock; you may or may not have heard of it, but it’s KIND OF the biggest concert of the band season. This means Monday night rehearsals, extra practicing, and no sleep the week of the concert.

7. Pep Band

The BEST part of being a part of the band is being able to get into sporting events for free when you’re playing with the band AND you get a quarter/period off to go socialize with all of your non-band friends.

8. The struggle of “no conflict week”

This one pertains to the music department as a whole but, when it’s no conflict week, it’s basically a whole week of missing Brit Lit and every other important class that you probably shouldn’t miss but you have to because you’ll be in big trouble otherwise.

9. Traveling down to Madison for the State Hockey Tournament

(Almost) Every year the hockey team makes it to state and you know what that means? The band gets to take a road trip down to Madison to play for the hockey team! Again, nothing better than riding the bus with a bunch of band people.

10. Mrs. K’s Brutally Honest Comments

She won’t be afraid to tell the trumpets to stop sounding horrible, the trombones to stop acting stupid or the percussionists to stop being a bunch of clowns. When she does say all of this, she says it with love!

11. It’s Mrs. K, NOT Mrs. Kennebeck

Once you’re in the band for a while, you learn that it’s just easier to call her Mrs. K.

12. How much Mrs. K “loves” Valentine’s Day!

Okay, she doesn’t seriously love it, BUT she does give us a lecture every year on how ridiculous she thinks it is and thinks how you should love everyone, every day of the year, not just on Valentine’s Day.

13. Decorating the band room in honor of Mrs. K’s “love” for Valentine’s day

Valentine’s day is the one day a year when the students must distract Mrs. K during homeroom so they can all quickly decorate the band room with lots of hearts, pink, red, and cheesy pickup lines.

14. You never use your locker, you use your band cubby instead

Who really has time to run from their locker on the third floor, run to the band room and grab their instrument, AND have time to catch the bus, get to sports practice, or musical rehearsal on time? NO ONE. That’s why you simply use your cubby as your “locker”.

15 .Spending your open mods in the band room instead of the commons

Who needs to be social and sit in the commons when you can sit in the band room and hang out!

16. Doctor Beat.

Keep the tempo up to speed or she’ll threaten “Don’t make me get Doctor Beat out!” Trust me, you don’t want to deal with the irritating cowbell-like metronome that blasts your eardrums. After a few times with doctor beat, you’ll always remember to stay with the tempo.

17. The End of Band Camp Water Fight

After all the hard work is over, it’s time for a water fight! That means throwing gallons of water at each other with every single water source there is (including but not limited to puddles) within the span of 30 minutes.

18. Scavenger Hunt around the school during band camp

Band camp isn’t just a ton of practicing and pounding out the notes and rhythms, it also means that it’s the one time of year for the scavenger hunt around the school!

19.The Applebee’s Fundraiser

The real question is “Is the fundraiser here (at West) or at Applebee’s?”

20. Senior Day

One of the hardest days of the school year is senior day. No one likes to say goodbye to the seniors, but everyone loves to share stories about each other and reminisce of the past four years.

21. Mrs. K may come off as scary, but she’s really the mother of the band

She’s strict most of the time, but when you really need a “go to person” Mrs. K is the one to talk to! She just wants to help everyone and wants the band to sound their best. That’s why she’s so harsh, she strives for great performances, and that she gets!

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