My Favorite Parts of Marching Band

I've been crazy enough to join marching band three more times, even though I knew what the season would entail.  Why have I agreed to participate in marching band?

1) Most of my friends are involved somehow in marching band or band in general: It gives us that uniting bond in common.  At lunch, we'll sometimes discuss the show, how practice went, whether or not we think that we're prepared. Therefore, marching band has given me my "identity" as a music person. 

 2) I like yelling stupid things at award ceremonies as they announce which band got which place and cheering once we know what place we got.  One year, our biggest, most unsportsmanlike like competitors got into a cheering war with us.  The cheered, "Give me a 'J' 'E' 'S' 'U' 'S:'"  In response, a funnier and more sarcastic marching band member had us spell out ""B' 'U' 'D' 'D' 'A'" after he proclaimed that no one could compete with Jesus.

3 ) I enjoy being completely in sync with everyone around me.  Because we don't have a drum major, we must listen very carefully to the other musicians around us and especially to the drum line.  I like hearing people count out loud, completely with me, knowing that we're all together. On a bigger level, everyone must work together for the show to work. 

4) In one move that we have in the opener, I like that everyone around me marches forward together: I can count on the other marching band members to be there. 

Last First Football Game

Others in my grade level got weepy at my mentioning of our last first football game ever.  I thought that I overheard a girl say that my countdowns don't help.  I don't mean them to make others cry; however, I like countdowns to remind me to make the most of every moment.  It's so hard in the heat or when I'm so tired or when a director yells at the leaders to set a better example essentially.

As my mom said, a majority of my friends participate in band in some form: marching band, guard, concert band.  I'm glad that I've done marching band over the past couple years because it gives me that common bond with my friends.

Marching band has also taught my volumes about leadership and commitment that I wouldn't have learned anywhere else.

I've realized that I can't stop time or go back in time; therefore, I must savor every moment.  Here's a Haiku about savoring life.
Time's zooming forward
Make every moment count.
Don't wish it away.

I just feel that the band worsens every year.  We become less and less disciplined.  I just wish I had the energy to lead better and to set a better example.

We lost badly against the team that we beat soundly my first year in marching band.  Like everything else, everything glitters less as the years continue and I grow more wise about the world.

Leadership

All I can say is, I've learned volumes about leadership that I wouldn't have learned anywhere else: I got to see which leadership styles work and which ones not so much in my younger years in marching band and I have the responsibility of leadership now that I'm older.

Yesterday at rehearsal, one section didn't have the best work ethic.  One guard instructor essentially called all of the older members poor examples for the younger members.  Every time I get to band, I automatically feel drained, as if I have no energy.  I must drag myself through each rehearsal.  Perhaps I just have a sugar crash or need more sleep or feel weary from all of these expectations on me to lead.

Every season, I feel as if the band's work ethic gets worse and worse.  I want to place well at Championships this year.  At least we're going to smaller competitions this year; therefore, we'll do well.

Last Parent Preview

My class' last parent preview was tonight.  It was so hard to believe that I couldn't march and play at the same time three short years ago.  Time really goes quickly.  

I feel like such a poor leader, especially when our director mentions what the leadership team should have done during down time or when I accidentally give bad advice.  Oh well, I'm not perfect.

Leadership

I feel like such an inadequate leader because I should work harder in marching band by running back to set and staying set after we finish a chunk; however, I always feel so tired and worn down whenever I go to band, especially because I've worked 4.5 hours before band every day this week.  I don't enjoy running and we don't know exactly when to relax.  I feel like such an inadequate leader compared to the section leaders of my first year.

We have our first performance tonight: I don't think that we're ready.  We improved a lot in rehearsal yesterday because the directors pushed the leadership team (which I'm on) to push the band harder and to set the example.  We really could use more time to practice.

I draw energy from an intense, fast paced rehearsal: until I practice reaches full speed, I feel so drained.

I have so much respect for good leaders now.

A Swiss Cheese Practice

We had so many missing people at yesterday's rehearsal due to last minute vacations, the orientation for those new to the school, and other random excuses.  Even our main band director wasn't there. 

At first, we only had 15 wind players: 1/3 of our actual number.  No one wanted to do anything: I had trouble getting anyone to do anything.  I finally said to the few who thought that we should warm up to go around the corner and start warming up and just to leave the other lazy people there.  Surprisingly and fortunately, everyone followed.  We had an abbreviated warm-up and basics session.  A fellow piccolo player said that I did a good job leading, especially because one of the other leader candidates "lead" the laziness. 

Eventually, people started to trickle back to rehearsal.

I told one new band member that he needs to march backwards into his set: he usually forgets until I yell to back into it.  I can't get mad or frustrated at him because I've struggled just as he has: I've seemingly ignored the corrections of the older members when I couldn't process everything.  He tries. 

I told the new piccolo who is more like me that I honestly didn't completely remember the drill: She told me that my honesty made her feel better because she doesn't know it well either.  

I just get so tired in marching band.  I drag myself through rehearsal. 

No More Band Camp!

I still can't believe that I had my last day of band camp today, unless I decide to join marching band in college: No more band camp with my school ever, ever again.  No more weeks of 9 hour days in which I spend much more time with the band than I do with my own family, no more weeks of such intense heat, no more weeks of practically agony.  It's bittersweet because I don't have another opportunity to participate in this band after this; however, I won't miss the heat, the humidity, the agony.

Our director let the leadership team candidates lead warm-ups today: I ran half of the music warm-up.  It was so weird tapping the beat and calling my fellow band members to attention instead of playing the warm-ups and coming to attention myself.  Weird, but amazing at the same time.  Even after three full seasons of marching band, I still didn't know how to hold the block and stick to tap the beat.  Sad, pathetic.

I'm really not that sad yet because we still have a whole season of marching band.  I just want to enjoy band and do well at the competitions, as we especially did my first year.

We did a run through of the entire show that we know so far -- a well intended, but pathetic attempt.  No one could remember the third part because the directors haven't given us the opportunity to connect each piece or review what we already knew.  In my opinion, they've tried to shove the show down our throats and teach it to us as fast as they can.

Well, that's why we still have an entire season to rehearse.

[ALMOST] The End of Band Camp

I think we have our last day of band camp tomorrow -- a surreal idea.

We voted for the members of the leadership team.  No set number, everyone just voted "yes" or "no" for each candidate.  I hope that I'll be part of this team because I enjoy helping and leading and it will look good for college and NHS applications.

While our director explained the voting, he mentioned some leadership characteristics such as dedication, punctuality, ability to adapt to change, attitude.   Yeah, I don't feel like the best leader after he reminded the band of those characteristics. 

It's funny and neat seeing how my peers take on their leadership roles that we unofficially and automatically get as the older marching band members to help the younger, newer members: some yell at those who don't get it, others yell reminders.  I remember what it was like to be the one whom all the older marching band members practically got mad at because I didn't get it: I desperately wanted to understand but couldn't.  That really frustrated me.  I've tried not to single members out as much and just say, "Let's dress this line."  I've also shared my "nonpolitical correct" ways to do marching band.  Like how to dress a line, a diagonal, check intervals: all the things that I had to learn myself.  I've also tried to encourage and praise the positive aspects.  One second year member who struggled his first year improved his backward marching band by leaps and bounds: when I praised him, he told me how nice it was to hear positive feedback. 

In our piccolo section, the two first year members remind me so much of my peer and me.  One first year member got marching band right away, the other is still learning.  I was in the later's shoes not too long ago.  I remember what it was like.

So, I'm really tired.  I have no more capacity to learn drill.  We make a form and "follow the leader" in two blocks.  The other block with 95% experienced marchers got the form: my block with 50% first year members doesn't quite have it as well.  Frustrating.

We didn't have a chance to mark the sets in the music; therefore, without those marks, I was pretty lost while we learned the ballad because I know the show by where each section in the music starts and stops.  We marked the sets in later so that we're more clear.  I'm glad because it's embarrassing and bad (because I'm supposed to be able to help the newer members with their part of the show.)

I want to have fun in band and do well.  I've brought cards from a game to amuse us.

The leadership team candidates get to lead warm ups tomorrow: even after four seasons of marching band, I'm still not sure how I'll do with leading the music warmups.  Oh well, no one is perfect.  

Band Camp Day IV

I've said it before; however, I can't reiterate it enough: it's so weird being the oldest one in band.  Now I'm the one trying to help the new marchers learn how to march in time with good form.  I don't want to be like the upperclassmen who just yelled at me when I couldn't march correctly no matter how hard I tried because I remember what it was like to be constantly yelled at.  I said this to my peer in the piccolo section: one of the new members reminds me so much of her and the other reminds me so much of myself regarding personality and ability to "get" marching band: the girl who reminds me of my peer gets the step outs, marches and plays, has good flute angles, whereas the girl who reminds me of myself hasn't gotten marching quite as quickly.  If she thinks as I do, hopefully the "tricks" that I use for marching band and how I "process" all of the events happening at once will help her.  I had to figure all of these things out for myself because my upperclassmen just yelled at me and one pulled me aside to help me individually. 

I like being one of the oldest because I can implement my ideas. 

Band Camp Day III

It really frustrated me that the directors didn't give me adequate time to learn the opener drill that I missed on Monday: I wouldn't have been able to learn that drill that quickly if I weren't jet lagged.  I essentially had to ask my band mates where my set was and try to get somewhere near there. 

We did a run of the first two parts of the show.  I had a mind blank a few times where I couldn't remember the music.  With my exhaustion, a tough set where I have to move a big distance backwards, and repetitive music, I struggled to make a set.  I felt as if I were a first year band member again.

Overall, the work ethic of this band impresses me: everyone for the most part doesn't relax until told to, everyone mainly pays attention and doesn't talk.  We're learning drill at a decent pace.