More handpicked essays just for you.
A brief article on the benefits of music education
Music education importance in schools
Music education importance in schools
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: A brief article on the benefits of music education
As you live your life, and time passes. As society changes, and opportunities come and go. One thing never changes… A drummer’s passion for music. Coming from a musically gifted family obviously fueled my passion for drumming. The first step was to join the band, and being in band was what gave me a true appreciation for music. The passion for drums came first and then an appreciation for all the hard work musicians do. Unfortunately the marching band, in high school, was not affordable for me. So I wondered how i could continue my drumming career, and eventually came to a decision. I decided to take up playing a full drum-set, and it was the best choice of my life. Playing the full set, has given so many more opportunities than the band ever
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.
With an upcoming drumline of around ten freshmen, eight sophomores, three juniors, and one senior we have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us and to achieve that goal of being the best we need someone to lead us. Our ensemble can become amazing and I have a lot of great goals I hope we accomplish next year but more than anything else our group needs motivation to become the best. And by the end of next year we will have pushed ourselves and we might be bloody and tired at the finish line but we will have made it. That 's what I strive for if I get the position of Drum Captain for the 2016 Pirate Drum Line.
The way drum corps members perform is deeper on a cognitive level in the brain. The performer has the music in their head while marching and this requires two different parts of the brain. A way to help with the intensity of cognitive power used is through relaxation training or “insight therapy”. In one study, “both the cognitively based treatment program and the behavior-rehearsal program proved effective in reducing musical-performance anxiety”(Kendrick, Craig Lawson, & Davidson, 1982) . These methods reduced performers’ negative self talk. This gives the members a smoother
...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.
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.
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
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.
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
Auld, David. “Civil War Drummer Boys Did More Than Just Play Drums.” www.civilwarsources.blogspot.com. June 08, 2008. Accessed May 15, 2014.http://civilwarsources.blogspot.com/2008/06/civil-war-drummer-boys-did-more-than.html#0.
Upon learning the position of Drum Major has an opening, I did not immediately consider pursuing it. Simply being able to play my instrument in band was enjoyment enough, or so I thought. Pondering the idea more thoroughly, I came upon the realization of all that I could accomplish musically holding the position of Drum Major. I realize that this opportunity has many potential benefits in regards to my future. Being Drum Major would allow me the opportunity to hold a broader leadership position in the band than my currently held position as section leader.
The drummer not only envisions ingratiating chamber movements to be delivered in “Part 5”, calling Schoenbeck’s bassoon to the center, but also reserves the final section for his own percussive
Drumming, over the ages, had been depicted in healing rituals, rich with images of figures holding drums embellished on cave walls and archeological sites all over the world. More recently, the therapeutic effects of group-drumming have been explored which has led to research studies providing an evidence base for considering drumming as a therapeutic intervention in its own right or as part of other programs (Blackett & Payne, 2005). In addition to being regarded as one of the oldest instruments in world history, the drum has also held different values and benefits across a diversity of cultures. For instance, drumming in American Indian culture is a traditional-based activity that has been cherished and utilized over centuries to promote self-expression and healing (Dickerson, et al., 2012).
Less than a Century old, the modern drum kit is a relatively new instrument, however, the drums have been the driving force and heartbeat of popular music through the times. From the change through marching music, to jazz, big bands and rock, the drums have been used as a means of keeping time, and of musical expression.
Most people, who aren’t in marching band, think or believe that marching band is not a sport. To someone in the stands of a football game, it looks like kids in ‘fancy outfits’, ‘walking’ on the football field. There’s more to a band on a field than most people think. Blood, sweat, and tears, go into this activity, just like every other sport played competitively.