We were two weeks in. The sun had become the bane of our efforts and water breaks the saving grace. Sweat permanently stained my white gloves a faint yellow. Frustration, nervousness, and every concoction of the two precipitated deep impressions in my whistle; better to bite down inside than outside. New muscles were forming in my arms, stronger and more precise every day.
I looked out at eighty sets of frustrated and tired eyes. It was my job as drum major to take these eighty marchers with their multitude of attitudes and unite them under the umbrella of productivity. When they let up, I push harder. When they push, I push harder. When they push harder, I push harder. On and off the field, I am their leader and their most dedicated servant.
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It is about who I am off the podium. For the past five years (I marched up as an 8th grader), I have been proving something to these people, so that they trust me in this position. The character of drum major or leader is one I have been perfecting since I was a freshman. For a long time I was just an actor trying to be a character. Eventually, I had acted the part so much that I became it, and it was my role. I give respect to receive it. I build real relationships of with members to achieve trust, accountability, and effort. When people are torn up inside because of their home life, which is quite frequent in Lenoir City Tennessee, I am their shoulder to cry on, or a set of ears to vent to, or a buffer to dull their anger. When people are frustrated with me for some reason, I seek them out and learn what I can do different. When there are five flavors of gum stuck to the floor of the band room at 11:30 on a Friday night, I get on my knees with a plastic fork and start scraping. When the band director constantly yells at me for this that and the other, I take into account the criticisms and practice harder. The band and the director see this character I have transformed into, or maybe the one I have always been, and that is why I have the honor of standing on the podium and wearing the gloves. I have become the band’s teacher, nurse, cattle driver, answer dispenser, and friend. Somehow, those all add up to leader. I refuse to let them down, rather I lift them
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.
It’s a question we all ask ourselves from time to time: "Why am I doing this? Is it really worth it?" For band directors, the question comes up a little more FREQUENTLY. The long rehearsals, hours of preparation and planning. Budget, buses and banged up tubas. Counseling and consoling. Lesson planning to tour planning." Why are you doing this?" Someone asked me once, "It’s only band".
The low reed section to me is not just my section, it is my family, and I would love to have the honor of calling myself mom. However, Lauren will always be the original mom and my biggest role model in band. She was the first one to give me hug whenever I was upset, she made sure I didn't get sunburned during band camp, and was overall the most loving, caring section leader I most likely will ever have. As section leader, I would like to devote all my time, love, and leadership to my section and show what an amazing marching experience truly is. Throughout this essay, I will evaluate what Lauren did well, what she could have done better, what I would do differently, and why I am the person for the job.
...a life lesson. The military style of drum line is what has helped me improve in my schoolwork, my family life, and my friendships; I was trained to never give up even if success seems impossible.
Looking around and seeing bright lights and feeling all eyes on you. Hearing both sides of the stadium cheer and shout for their teams and getting nervous during the last few seconds of the second quarter and at the same time being very proud of what the band has accomplished in the brief amount of time it took to learn the pretty intense and complex drill. Then suddenly you get the adrenaline rush that pushes you to perform. Many people would agree that being a drum major is one of the most eminent positions that is held by students who are Being the Drum Major of any band shows that you have the respect and trust of the members of the band and it’s directors. It also shows that you are passionate about what you do, responsible and that
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
Throughout everyday tasks in the classroom, or outside of school, I step up and lead those who need to be led. I constantly find new opportunities to lead others and help the situation any way I can. Every summer the band has a marching band camp for a week straight that we must all attend. Being an experienced band member, I step up and assist all underclassmen and show then where to go and what they need to be doing. Instead of getting frustrated when giving the freshman directions, I am calm and collect and walk them step by step until they understand, something most leaders would not have time or patience for. With many plans to help others and lead within my community, I believe that I have what it takes to be a strong, and powerful leader for the National Honor Society.
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.
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.
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
“Who’s going to step up?”. “Who’s going to change this?”. People ask these questions everyday. I realize that I have never truly thought about the defining characteristics of a leader. I was given a list of qualities and upon reading it, I proudly realized that I demonstrate leadership. But the important consideration should not be how I successfully match this definition, but instead why I do it. I was elected treasurer for the class of 2016, a student body elected official, and hold that position of responsibility by attending meetings weekly, promoting school activities (such as homecoming), and participating in student council planning and events as much as possible. I wanted to become treasurer because I wanted a say in decisions that impacted our class. I wanted to be recognized as an individual that my peers could come to with questions and concerns.
Everyone has a favorite type of music. Many people follow music closely and have unique tastes. Some people find genres and mixes of genres that they like. People find other people who share these musical interests. People who immerse themselves in a genre or performer find the live performance particularly meaningful and seek out those artists in concert. Music concerts are some of the biggest and most attended events in our modern culture. These are venues where people come together and express themselves through movement and sound. Individuals transcend their everyday experience, connecting to the performers and each other. The experience of the performance and the energy around you is addictive. It’s almost religious. The desire to return to that “mountain top” is powerful. And for how powerful it is to the crowd, it is so much more invigorating for the performers up on stage doing what they love. What if the high just isn’t there the next time? What if a tolerance starts to build up? That’s when many begin to add narcotics into the experience, to rebirth that feeling. Music has been a vital part of culture, and drugs have always been involved in and around both music and culture, effecting the music and the youth listening to it.
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?
Many people do not often realize what the most revolutionizing and most important instrument is. In fact, this instrument can be found in every style of music in some way, shape or form. The one instrument that fits this criteria is the drum. According to the Harvard Dictionary of Music, a drum is a generic name for instruments that consists of skin stretched over a frame or vessel and struck with either hands or sticks. Drums are membranous. In other words, a drum has something inside of it, or a "membrane," that gives it its sound (Apel 247). There are many different types of drums, and each drum has its own place in different styles of music. For example, a tympani drum, also referred to as a kettle drum, is mainly found in classical styles of music,
Are extra-curricular and co-curricular activities needed in a school environment? Do they serve any purpose in the learning spectrum of school? Many individuals believe school is a place strictly for learning, nothing more. Yet, they have an abundance of different sports and activities offered. These activities are financed by public schools and are offered as something else to engage in. Although others do not agree, learning is affected by extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, such as music, in a positive way. Music programs can give students’ meaning, involvement, create positive feelings, give new opportunities, increase students’ community engagement, and can also improve students’ academic achievements. “For years the music education