I am a leader. I have all the qualities that make a great leader, but I was not born this way.Experiences and how someone reacts to those experiences are what truly make a leader. One of the most influential experiences I have gone through is called the Lebanon High School Marching Band. I am certain that I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for marching band. Before coming to high school I already had leadership qualities, but band helped bring all those great qualities together and helped me get past my two major flaws: my lack of self-confidence and the fact that I was probably one of the shyest people you would EVER meet. When I joined marching band, I spent most of my waking hours sweating and suffering alongside wonderful people that I longed to…
The first concert I choose to attend was the UMKC ensemble series. It featured the wind ensemble and the wind symphony.…
There have been numerous times in my life where I’ve failed at something but there was one specific failure that really opened my eyes to what it really meant to fail. When I was in high school, I was in the band, my instrument of choice was the saxophone. While in the band it is required that you learn your sheet music before you attend any school event. This is to ensure that everyone is doing their absolute best and will make cuts to perform in every function the band was asked to participate. As I mentioned earlier, I played the saxophone and had always made cuts until one day our band instructor issued out new music. Being the person I am, I glanced at the music and said “I see no need for me to practice this, it’s so simple”. Later that…
Bands of America was very cool this year! The bus ride went very well, only problem being that every bump hit would rewind the movie that was playing. Once we got there everything went very smoothly. I got to help the band moms put the hat boxes in order! Warm ups there were a lot of jitters in the air it seemed, but not bad ones. Waiting to get on the field was extremely nerve wracking. But, once we got on the field everything seemed nice and mellow, like we were back on the field at home, it just had a different crowd and background. I feel really good about the performance. We did the best we could do and our best got us third in our class! Heading to the hotel and getting to lay down and rest was very nice and much needed. The food was…
Sweat drizzles down my skin as it exits my pores trying to cool my heated body. The blood rushes through my veins pumping blood with the consistent pounding of my heart. Every breath, every second, every action, every thought; I am standing where everything counts. Artificial turf and grass crumpled beneath my torn black shoes and the thick silence only cut by the timed chants from afar. This is the last moment I will stand here for this reason. This is the last moment I will stand here with my family. This is the last moment of my marching band career. Many will say that this was a special group of kids, others will say that this year was a show that was made to make it. I, on the other hand, will say that this was because of seven years of dedication.…
Before I had even started high school I hit a very deep depression. I struggled with it for years. I felt I had no family and no friends. It was a very hard time for me. I didn't enjoy talking about my feelings or being around people due to the fact that I felt I just annoyed those around me. Despite this, I continued doing what I loved most: music. I began marching band my eighth grade year and loved the feeling of being on the field in the lights when our assistant band director would come over the loud speaker announcing the "McClain Marching Tigers and Tigerettes". It helped me find and accept who I am. I gained confidence and learned to lead and understand. It even introduced me to my closest friend whom introduced me to his friend group, giving me the first group of friends I had in my life. I've met so many new people and learned so many new skills throughout my marching career and I look forward to finishing out my senior year with the people who have been there with me from the beginning.…
Immediately wanting to join the band, I knew the only obstacle in my way would be convincing my parents. After all, neither one of them is musical in any way. At dinner that night, it was obvious that they were skeptical and not too keen on the idea of hearing the banging of a drum set in their home, but they ultimately gave me the chance to pursue this new-found passion. At that time, none of us could have imagined the impact that this decision would have on my life moving forward.…
School of Rock. Seeing those words on my calendar made me dread the weeks to come. My parents had signed me up for an activity, once again, without asking my opinion first. My friends would be going, but that didn’t make it sound better. I would be put in a band with people I didn't know. I’d always left being outgoing and meeting new people for my friends to take care of, but this week it seemed to be on my to-do list.…
My love for music began in middle school. At that time, I was socially awkward with very few friends. To compensate, I buried myself in music. My dedication led to many honors and admiration from my peers. However, when I got to high school, my relationship with music fundamentally changed. The arrival of an overly demanding teacher coupled with a long episode of depression robbed me of my passion to play. As time progressed, the pain I felt became too much to bear, and I became desperate for an outlet in which I could express myself positively. My quest led me to music once more, but classical was no longer the genre of choice. It was in hip hop and rap music that I found the will to overcome mental illness.…
Two years ago, on a cold Saturday morning, I prepared for my first ever track tryout. I took a shower, put on my clothes, and got into the car. On my way to practice, I felt strong physically, but I also had an undefined, jittery feeling about how the day was going to go.…
When I first began band, during the summer before my freshmen year, I was very introverted and not used to being surrounded by so many great musicians. I was petrified to play loudly in front of others and stuck to hanging out with my fellow freshmen band members. As the year began to…
Starting off with the end of eighth grade year is when I realized how much my life would change after one decision. My small group of friends consisted of them being in band. I’ve always been a shy person when it comes to meeting new people which is why I never tried out. I remember seeing posters announcing to come try out for color guard which is a performing arts program during marching season in high school. I had a couple of friends who were convincing me to join since that would mean we would all be in band. My best decision was going to try out and making the team.…
I was the kind of guy who always strove in order to get the highest grades but yet hadn’t decided what to do in the future. I wasn’t worried, I knew someday I would find something in what I was good at. I got to live with that thought for some time until I got to attend middle school, where I stopped worrying about my grades and managed only to pass the subjects. I spent most of my time sleeping due to the frustration of not knowing what to do in the future. Most of my middle school experience was tasteless. I hadn’t friends at all, and teachers used to discourage their students about their future. “You're not going to college, you’ll not be able to do it because you’re poor” used to say, Mrs. Vazquez, the math teacher who instead of giving her class, talked on how much his son had accomplished in college and how we would not be able to attend. That was about to change.…
A light sweat trickled down my back as the sun’s rays were beating down on me harshly when Alexa and I arrived at Warner’s Stadium. It was the first football game of the season and I was here helping out the band in the concession stands. For the past few weeks, I have been trying to get Alexa to become a part of the marching lions with her siblings but she keeps on stubbornly refusing. I have brought her with me to talk to some of the members in the band, see how much fun they have, and how close they are to one another. Hopefully we can convince Alexa to join the band tonight.…
When I was younger, I was shy and quiet. I used to be afraid to talk to others and often kept things to myself. One summer, my parents enrolled me in piano lessons so that I had something to do. Initially, I was hesitant to join, but I soon began to appreciate music and its significant influence in my life.…