Post by Lprdgecko on Apr 28, 2009 20:20:25 GMT -5
My final English essay in high school. We had to choose an activity that we have enjoyed in HS. I picked marching band, naturally. If anyone wants to check for errors, feel free. (i've put brackets for names and stuff, so dont worry about that)
Memories of Marching Band
Throughout my high school career, one of the activities that I have truly enjoyed participating in is marching band. I have had many experiences with the band over the past four years, both good and bad. I went to several competitions, football games, practices, and various other places, and some great memories and friendships were formed.
Band camp. These two simple words trigger all kinds of emotions in a band member. He may dread it because of the summer heat and hard work involved. He may be excited to learn the new music and drill. He may be neither, he may be both. After enduring four band camps, I know how hard it can be. The heat is relentless, and the band is outside for hours at a time, with the back parking lot at school as the only place we can practice. Band camp was an important time for me, however, especially as a freshman. Spending a week at school allowed me to know the layout better, so I wasn’t lost on my first day. I also got to know many upperclassmen who were very kind and helpful. I made new friends, and strengthened relationships with old friends. We made it through that long first week together, which was mostly spent learning the basics of marching. We did a routine called “Basics Block” where the whole band would line up in a block and perform a rather long sequence of fundamental maneuvers. As a freshman who didn’t know what to expect from a marching band, Basics Block was amazing. I would have been perfectly satisfied if that had been our field show. I have learned to dread Basics Block since then, but at the time, I was naïve.
My junior year, band camp was held at [Name] State Park. This was the first camp that was away from school, and it was by far the most successful camp we have ever had. We got a lot accomplished, and the atmosphere that year was extremely upbeat. During our one-hour break, we would go swimming or spend time with our friends in the hotel rooms. It increased the bonding among the band members, and that may have been the reason for the successful season we had that year.
Sectionals are another important aspect of marching band. Each group of instruments gets together and finds a place in the school to practice and memorize music. One day during my junior year, [band director] told us that he would be coming around during sectionals and listening to make sure everyone had the music memorized. As it turned out, my section, the clarinets, didn’t have the music memorized all the way, and sectionals were outside that day. [name], our Section Leader, told us to go to the bleachers by the softball field and start practicing. Since the fence had the green plastic on it, we assumed that [band director] wouldn’t find us for a while. We saw him go and listen to the saxophones, who were just outside the fence where we were hiding. [name] told us to stop playing and be very quiet. Eventually, [band director] walked away to find another section. The saxophones knew what we were up to and started shouting that we were at the softball field, but [band director] didn’t hear them. A long time passed, and we looked and saw him coming straight for us. We hid behind a big utility box and were silent. [band director] knew we were there, though, and found us. When he accused us of hiding from him, we denied it. Luckily he wasn’t angry, and by that time we had learned the music.
One of the responsibilities of the marching band is to attend the football games to support the team and provide entertainment for the audience. The halftime show we performed my freshman year involved a maneuver where there were two blocks that passed through each other. The trombones passed through the flutes. As we were performing the show, a trombone player’s slide got wrenched out of his instrument and was stuck in a flute player’s hair. She kept marching, and it stayed there for the remainder of the show. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen, and everyone who saw it stopped playing and started laughing.
On almost every Saturday in the months of September and October, we went to a competition to perform our show and get scored against other bands. Both my sophomore year and senior year, we traveled to Indianapolis to compete against bands from around the country. We performed in the football stadium where the Indianapolis Colts play. Before we went onto the field, they lined us up in a concrete room with an air-lock door. As they opened the door and I saw the field for the first time, I was in shock. Words cannot describe the feelings of nervousness, excitement, and awe that I felt. We marched onto the field and performed our show, and it was amazing to actually march on a high-quality field. On both occasions, we placed towards the bottom of all the bands there, but it didn’t matter to me. I had a great time in Indianapolis, and everyone else did, too.
My junior year, our big trip was to Disney World. Our only obligation there was to perform in a short parade. The remainder of our time was spent enjoying the parks, and we even stopped at the beach on the way to Orlando. Everybody enjoyed themselves in Orlando because we were basically free to do whatever we wanted, provided that we checked in with the chaperones every few hours.
Overall, my participation in marching band has been a very positive experience, and I will miss it a lot next year. The memories I have cheer me up when I am sad, and they remind me of all the great times I’ve had with my friends. Marching band has taught me the importance of being responsible for myself and helping others, as well as the importance of being somewhere early, not simply on time. My life would not be what it is today if I had never joined marching band. I have met many amazing people and experienced things I never would have dreamed of before. It has made me a more confident person and a better musician. Though I will be participating in [college]’s marching band next year, my high school memories will always be with me. I will miss being able to see my high school friends every day, especially now that we will all go our separate ways. I am grateful for the wonderful experiences I’ve had, and I hope that I can stay in touch with all of my friends over the years.
Memories of Marching Band
Throughout my high school career, one of the activities that I have truly enjoyed participating in is marching band. I have had many experiences with the band over the past four years, both good and bad. I went to several competitions, football games, practices, and various other places, and some great memories and friendships were formed.
Band camp. These two simple words trigger all kinds of emotions in a band member. He may dread it because of the summer heat and hard work involved. He may be excited to learn the new music and drill. He may be neither, he may be both. After enduring four band camps, I know how hard it can be. The heat is relentless, and the band is outside for hours at a time, with the back parking lot at school as the only place we can practice. Band camp was an important time for me, however, especially as a freshman. Spending a week at school allowed me to know the layout better, so I wasn’t lost on my first day. I also got to know many upperclassmen who were very kind and helpful. I made new friends, and strengthened relationships with old friends. We made it through that long first week together, which was mostly spent learning the basics of marching. We did a routine called “Basics Block” where the whole band would line up in a block and perform a rather long sequence of fundamental maneuvers. As a freshman who didn’t know what to expect from a marching band, Basics Block was amazing. I would have been perfectly satisfied if that had been our field show. I have learned to dread Basics Block since then, but at the time, I was naïve.
My junior year, band camp was held at [Name] State Park. This was the first camp that was away from school, and it was by far the most successful camp we have ever had. We got a lot accomplished, and the atmosphere that year was extremely upbeat. During our one-hour break, we would go swimming or spend time with our friends in the hotel rooms. It increased the bonding among the band members, and that may have been the reason for the successful season we had that year.
Sectionals are another important aspect of marching band. Each group of instruments gets together and finds a place in the school to practice and memorize music. One day during my junior year, [band director] told us that he would be coming around during sectionals and listening to make sure everyone had the music memorized. As it turned out, my section, the clarinets, didn’t have the music memorized all the way, and sectionals were outside that day. [name], our Section Leader, told us to go to the bleachers by the softball field and start practicing. Since the fence had the green plastic on it, we assumed that [band director] wouldn’t find us for a while. We saw him go and listen to the saxophones, who were just outside the fence where we were hiding. [name] told us to stop playing and be very quiet. Eventually, [band director] walked away to find another section. The saxophones knew what we were up to and started shouting that we were at the softball field, but [band director] didn’t hear them. A long time passed, and we looked and saw him coming straight for us. We hid behind a big utility box and were silent. [band director] knew we were there, though, and found us. When he accused us of hiding from him, we denied it. Luckily he wasn’t angry, and by that time we had learned the music.
One of the responsibilities of the marching band is to attend the football games to support the team and provide entertainment for the audience. The halftime show we performed my freshman year involved a maneuver where there were two blocks that passed through each other. The trombones passed through the flutes. As we were performing the show, a trombone player’s slide got wrenched out of his instrument and was stuck in a flute player’s hair. She kept marching, and it stayed there for the remainder of the show. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen, and everyone who saw it stopped playing and started laughing.
On almost every Saturday in the months of September and October, we went to a competition to perform our show and get scored against other bands. Both my sophomore year and senior year, we traveled to Indianapolis to compete against bands from around the country. We performed in the football stadium where the Indianapolis Colts play. Before we went onto the field, they lined us up in a concrete room with an air-lock door. As they opened the door and I saw the field for the first time, I was in shock. Words cannot describe the feelings of nervousness, excitement, and awe that I felt. We marched onto the field and performed our show, and it was amazing to actually march on a high-quality field. On both occasions, we placed towards the bottom of all the bands there, but it didn’t matter to me. I had a great time in Indianapolis, and everyone else did, too.
My junior year, our big trip was to Disney World. Our only obligation there was to perform in a short parade. The remainder of our time was spent enjoying the parks, and we even stopped at the beach on the way to Orlando. Everybody enjoyed themselves in Orlando because we were basically free to do whatever we wanted, provided that we checked in with the chaperones every few hours.
Overall, my participation in marching band has been a very positive experience, and I will miss it a lot next year. The memories I have cheer me up when I am sad, and they remind me of all the great times I’ve had with my friends. Marching band has taught me the importance of being responsible for myself and helping others, as well as the importance of being somewhere early, not simply on time. My life would not be what it is today if I had never joined marching band. I have met many amazing people and experienced things I never would have dreamed of before. It has made me a more confident person and a better musician. Though I will be participating in [college]’s marching band next year, my high school memories will always be with me. I will miss being able to see my high school friends every day, especially now that we will all go our separate ways. I am grateful for the wonderful experiences I’ve had, and I hope that I can stay in touch with all of my friends over the years.
