Drum Major (Not That) Rough Draft
When someone asks me what marching band means to me, it’s very difficult to come up with a simple answer that everyone can understand. Marching band means belonging to something bigger and more worthwhile than just a “team”; It means having a stake in something that is a treasured part of both our school and our community. Even if it means going to bed feeling every muscle in my body ache and knowing I may wake up feeling worse, I always look forward to doing it all again the next day (and the next year). Marching band is a challenge that pushes the limits of my physical and emotional endurance in such a way that I can’t wait to come back for more because I know I will be a better person for it.
I love marching band because, while it is so challenging and physically draining, it is also an amazing and rewarding experience. To me, band is more than a class. It’s more than an extracurricular activity or a summer pastime. Band is a way to express who you really are-- a way to find your true character. I’ve met some of the most influential people in my life through band programs, and they’ve helped me shape myself into
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I want to be sure that every single individual in The Force knows that they are making a contribution to the program and extending its legacy. Of course, a shiny trophy or a first place title is always nice, but a good show run-through triumphs over the “need” to win. I want to lead the band in run-throughs that make us feel as if placings don’t matter because we’ll know that we gave the best run we possibly could. If we are able to perform with this level of dedication, we’ll be winners no matter what placing or title we are given. This idea is one that has been prevalent throughout my career in band and one I hope to perpetuate within others by leading
Percussion has evolved from a small category to a wide variety of simple and technical instruments. Percussion is a category of musical instruments that is played using the hands or with a handheld stick/beater. Percussion started thousands of years ago when people played rhythms on random objects to please their friends and scare their enemy’s. People over the years discovered different ways to hit the objects.
Band is family. When your student walks onto campus, he or she is instantly adopted into the strongest society on campus. They will be spending their school days among the top achievers on campus, with fellow students who look out for one another and steer each other away from trouble instead of towards it. Teachers, staff, parents, and volunteers watch over all the kids as if they were their own.
It is general consensus that marching band is one of the furthest things from a sport; in fact, most people believe that band is nothing more than a group of nerds that were too unathletic to play sports. Contrary to this popular belief, marching band is much more physically taxing and demanding that many people are aware of. Based on the amount of physical exertion it entails and the similarities with other sports that are present, marching band should most definitely be considered a sport.
Sweat dripping down my face and butterflies fluttering around my stomach as if it was the Garden of Eden, I took in a deep breathe and asked myself: "Why am I so nervous? After all, it is just the most exciting day of my life." When the judges announced for the Parsippany Hills High School Marching Band to commence its show, my mind blanked out and I was on the verge of losing sanity. Giant's Stadium engulfed me, and as I pointed my instrument up to the judges' stand, I gathered my thoughts and placed my mouth into the ice-cold mouthpiece of the contrabass. "Ready or not," I beamed, "here comes the best show you will ever behold." There is no word to describe the feeling I obtain through music. However, there is no word to describe the pain I suffer through in order to be the best in the band either. When I switched my instrument to tuba from flute in seventh grade, little did I know the difference it would make in the four years of high school I was soon to experience. I joined marching band in ninth grade as my ongoing love for music waxed. When my instructor placed the 30 lb. sousaphone on my shoulder on the first day, I lost my balance and would have fallen had my friends not made the effort to catch me. During practices, I always attempted to ease the discomfort as the sousaphone cut through my collar bone, but eventually my shoulder started to agonize and bleed under the pressure. My endurance and my effort to play the best show without complaining about the weight paid off when I received the award for "Rookie of the Year." For the next three seasons of band practice, the ache and toil continued. Whenever the band had practice, followed by a football game and then a competition, my brain would blur from fatigue and my body would scream in agony. Nevertheless, I pointed my toes high in the air as I marched on, passionate about the activity. As a result, my band instructor saw my drive toward music and I was named Quartermaster for my junior year, being trusted with organizing, distributing, and collecting uniforms for all seventy-five members of the band. The responsibility was tremendous. It took a bulk of my time, but the sentiment of knowing that I was an important part of band made it all worthwhile.
As a freshman in high school and band, I was nervous, and very unconfident. But band changed it all for me. I found that helping people out was much more rewarding than just being a good player or marcher. Leadership is the best skill I've learned from band, and it will
One of the biggest decisions of my high school career came my sophomore year when I decided to try out for the role of drum major in my high school band. This decision was very tough to make due to the fact that I was a sophomore, and although I already had three years of experience under my belt as a band member at Northview High School, I knew that it would be very tough to earn the respect of my peers if I succeeded in becoming drum major. Out of the three years I had spent in the band, the biggest influence on my decision to try out came from my very first marching season, between August and December of 2012. From that year forward, after seeing many areas that the band could improve, watching how underclassmen and middle school band members
A community is a group of people who share something in common whether it be location, interest or a common goal. Communities are what bring people together and that is exactly what happens in marching band. Marching band is a way for people to find their place and make friends. It is very important not only for growth in music, but also for growth in character and friendship. There is only one requirement for marching band and that is to be able to play an instrument and be willing to practice hard. The people who join marching band do not need to have similar like and dislikes, majors, or even anything remotely in common.
Where I learned how to become a leader through the leadership ensemble within the marching band. Where in my senior and fourth year of marching competitively, I became the Drum Major, and earned the Best Drum Major Award at the Roxbury Marching Band Classic Competition. From marching band I progressed into jazz music, where I became the lead alto saxophonist in the top jazz band at my school during my junior and senior year. I was also one of three saxophonists in the top band at my school. I picked up the clarinet, the flute, and the soprano saxophone on my way through high school, and have played all three as well in my performing ensembles. I played in the pit orchestra of the theater production of “All Shook Up”, and was the principal saxophonist at my high school. Too be short, I am very involved in all things music in the past and currently. Band and music have been a place for me to rely on, something that brings me joy when sad. Allows me to express myself through sounds and through instruments. It is truly a talent and a hobby that I hope to continue through college and through life because of the joy it brought me and creative outlet it was throughout my
It gave me memories, opportunities, my best friends, and the best group of seventy or more people I could have ever hoped for. Without band I would not have gone on to any of the leadership positions I acquired, would not have met my best friends from my hometown or at college, and I would not have accomplished nearly as much as I have. It gave me confidence, respect, and discipline, qualities I am very grateful to have. Above all else, it gave me music. The ability to play an instrument is something I will never lose, and a talent which allows me to express my emotions and thoughts in a less forthright manner. I firmly believe that the marching band is the soundtrack to every student’s high school career, whether they are in band or not. Because with every football game, pep rally, and national anthem they hear, a family of band nerds sat in a room for hours each week perfecting it. No high school experience is complete without the band marching on at half time, or crowds of people cheering along to the fight song or alma mater. Marching band is the kind of activity that changes you in ways you do not realize until much later when you look back on the experience. Even if you were not involved in the band- it still affects you somehow. Because it is more than music and awkward
My older sister loved the marching band, so I always got dragged to their performances. I could not tell what was so appealing about it all; it consisted of walking on a field while playing instruments and flags being swung in the air. Participating in a marching band was never what I intended nor wanted to do. The idea bored me, but my mom insisted.
Being named the Lopez Marching Band Drum major would not be only an enormous accomplishment, but also an honor to be able to contribute to the legacy Lopez has. I may not be strongest player nor the best, but I have the heart and passion for band both in and out the field. Becoming drum major would allow me to repay the band for everything they have provided me with. For three years, the Lopez band has been a second home for me and has helped me grow in every aspect. In 2014, when I came in as a freshman, I was terrified of what lied in front of me; luckily, I was accepted to the Lopez family and they have been there for me through my ups and down. Being drum major would not only allow me to repay my debt, but also
Earlier on I had mentioned that I did not immediately consider myself for this position. One of the items that changed this is learning that the Drum Major is able to march with the band this coming year. I feel that by doing so, I would be viewed as a part of the band, and not just the kid on the podium. This is a very
Music has been affecting society throughout history. Music has been around since the beginning of time. The influence of music on modern society can be easily seen today. It has been proven that music has many influences on humans in positive and negative ways. Music has been proven to alter a person’s mood, and has shown to cause physical responses in many people simultaneously. The mind is able to concentrate better, as the body becomes more relaxed and alert. Technology has greatly affected the musical effect on the brain and the way society views, absorbs, and creates music.
Schools offer a variety of different activities. They can range from many areas from academics to music and arts. Some are widely liked and some by few students. There are many activities to do in school, but a majority of students enjoy Marching Band because they get to learn new music, go to Band Camp, and do performances.One of the reasons why students enjoy Marching Band is that they get to learn new music. Getting new music could be very exciting because they can finally learn something new. It is very exciting when they get it memorized. One a piece of music is memorized, they can then put it with a drill. The drill is the actual marching aspect of it and is a number of commands. Once the music and drill are both memorized and put together,
Despite what many may think, percussion is well known across hundreds of nations all over the world. Percussion has been around for centuries, and it has a very important meaning in the lives of many. It would be safe to assume that Percussion will be around for a long time as well, and play an important part in the lives of many people. Most people see drums as a cool thing to do, others see them as a bunch of irritating noise makers; but do they know the history behind them? So what is percussion? Percussion is a musical instrument played by striking with the hand, a handheld, or a pedal-operated stick or beater (Hudson). There are different groups of percussion instruments, and as time went by, they have immensely evolved from where they started (Zed). So what is percussion, where did it start, and what is it used for?