Stereotypes In Marching Band

Being shielded by Hollywood, society views band members as the weird geeks in school. What most do not think about, are the benefits that band members gain from being in such a tight social group. Famous movies, like American Pie, make it hard for band members to express to the world all of the great things that marching band has to offer. It is hard for most to look past the stereotypical marching band geek and envision the advantages of being in marching band. There were many times when I would begin to discuss my experiences in marching band, and I would be cut off in mid-sentence by someone quoting the famous line from American Pie, “This one time at band camp…” I felt as though I was being ignored and immediately placed into a stereotype
In seventh grade, my brother joined the middle school band. This was the start of a new beginning for me. My perspective of others started to broaden slightly by being exposed to some band members who were my brother’s friends. Three years later, when I entered seventh grade, I decided to join the middle school band and play the trumpet. I finally was a part of the group that I had been mocking for years. This was a large step for me. I was about to embark on a tremendous journey that would completely change my perspective on life. I would start to realize, as I became closer to the other members, that band students are not all the geeks that they are made out to be. While some members are a little quirky and some of the things that I did in band were a little weird, I truly discovered all of the great things that band has to offer. As I soon came to realize, members of marching bands gain valuable character traits, leadership skills, and academic benefits that help them excel in
Fortunate enough for me, marching band taught me how to be an effective leader. After a few years in marching band, I was chosen to be the section leader of the trumpets. A position of this magnitude requires a great deal of leadership abilities, abilities at which I was not yet very proficient. In the marching band at my high school, we had an assistant band instructor who is in the Army National Guard and an assistant technician who is a former Marine. With these two around, our band operated in a very strict manner. At first this seemed to be a bad thing because the level of intensity that was expected of us as members was extremely high. Now, looking back at my experiences, I am able to appreciate what these two gentlemen provided me. In my first year as section leader, the former marine held a three-day mini leadership camp. This camp was the groundwork for my leadership journey. I learned valuable leadership skills that I still use