...I began high school band in 8th grade. I had played flute for about four years, but it was quite a change for a musician who could barely read rhythms at a 6th grade level. While at first I had thought they would put me with the other flute players because that is what I had known for the last three years, but they did the complete opposite! For the 2014-2015 marching season, I was in Ledford Marching band’s front ensemble. The front ensemble was filled with the most ridiculously talented people. There were people who had played percussion for over eight years, there were people would later go to audition for all-state, and people who marched for national drum corps! I learned many rules my 8th grade year being in the front ensemble. The first thing that I learned was: you’re never alone. Dalton Craven taught me this rule when I was supposed to bring in seven percussion items outside by myself. While you’re...
Words: 1337 - Pages: 6
...Just one more time! The words repeated in my head every day during high school. I was a band nerd and powerlifter, but I was totally known as the crazy band nerd, who stayed in the band hall during her free times. I played the clarinet, I was not the best player, but I never gave up. Band consists of marching season and concert season. Personal, I loved marching season because of each routine Mr. Steele would come up with, but the most hated season was concert. Concert season consists of sightreading, and those were the time I saw the crazy side of the band directors. Plus, the band was split into two bands: Symphony and wind ensemble. Marching season is where all the competitive, fun and honorable memories began my high school and life....
Words: 1207 - Pages: 5
...city to see a parade. As a marching band high-stepped along the rail from where I was standing, I was in absolute awe. The brightly colored uniforms and boldness of the sound shocked the audience with enthusiasm. From that moment on, I decided that no matter what, I would be part of a marching band. As I went onto High school, band has helped me develop musical skills and the building blocks for the future such as commitment, self-discipline, and leadership. As time passed, I learned how to make positive choices, as well as responsibility. This lead me to stay on task and focus on what is necessary to achieve my goals. I have made many sacrifices along the way, such as re-evaluating friendships and passing up excellent job opportunities in order to continue my passion for marching band. The role of Drum Major flared in front of my eyes. I decided to take advantage of such opportunity. After gaining such honor, I began to set high standards for myself and became an example for others. Throughout the years, I learned the meaning of hard work and the satisfaction that comes from it. Although I am not pursuing a career in music, I would still like to minor in it. Since there is no specific major for Pre-Dentistry school, I need to figure out a major that will prepare me for the Dentistry world. Marching band has given me the opportunity to develop a solid foundation and the hopes to soon become part of Illinois and the Marching Illini; the best band in the...
Words: 281 - Pages: 2
...brick. Amidst peers who tried their best to make me stutter, nothing was going to break my concentration. “Crack!” went the sound of the gock. Finally, I could break attention. Difficult may the task have been, but I became the champion of the 2013 freshmen drill down. Some may see this as a silly game, but to me this “game” represents an event that showcases the intense fundamentals of marching band routine. Winning proves the dedication shown by that one member, and I won, showcasing what this band community means to me. Fast forwarding to a forlorn sophomore year, that year was unfortunately a loss. At that point in time, I did not fully comprehend how much meaning...
Words: 1255 - Pages: 6
...Throughout my high school career, I have been involved in a number of organizations. I was Drum Major in the marching band, I got accepted into the NHS (National Honor Society), and I was a teacher’s assistance for my community church classes, while achieving a top seven percent ranking in my class. Although I’m proud of what I’ve done, the is most rewarding part is the affect I have on the the people around me and the community. Fulfilling my duties as Drum Major has exposed me to many responsibilities. As Drum Major, I must lead the band from every practice and halftime show performance, to every competition. We start practice in the summer, five weeks before school starts, and our practices range from eight to twelve hours. I am in charge of everyone being informed of our schedule, as well as teaching and guiding the students on how to march and play with our rigorous routine. Furthermore, not only do I lead the band in football games every Friday, but also in our Region competition....
Words: 502 - Pages: 3
...Marching band has given me a lot over the past three years. I became more socially and physically involved with school and fine arts, and I learned that I’m happiest when I’m surrounded in a musical setting. I care for our band program, and I want to leave my senior year with as much commitment as I can give. This past year, as I improved not only as a player, but a marcher as well, I began to expand my leadership outward in my section and in the ensemble. For example, when I noticed a problem within forms or fundamentals, I would take initiative to point them out and attempt to find a solution. If I could see a line was curved in front of me, or that a new marcher was struggling with keeping in time, I would try to fix it. If a member might...
Words: 1275 - Pages: 6
...Color Guard “I love marching band because… I love being part of something greater than I can ever be alone. I love the natural high you get after performing your show. I love that rush you feel after you finished your best performance. I love how without anyone saying anything after we perform, we all know how we did. I love practicing to try to get as close to perfect as I can. I love pushing myself to what I think are my limits and finding out how much I am actually capable of doing. I am and always will be a performer.” During my freshman year, band camp was horrifying and extremely stressful. Band camp is where you learn everything you need to know including; marching fundamentals, flag fundamentals, start learning the flag routine, and also start learning marching sets on the field for the show all in just one week. As a freshman, this was a lot to take in. Now, as a senior, band camp is not so stressful. Currently, I am the captain of the flag core. Being captain means I’m expected to be a leader and help teach the freshman what they need to know. Next comes home football games at the O Zone. As a freshman, I was so terrified that I was going to mess up and everyone would notice. For the first game everything is still new and it is the “first performance”. Now that I am a senior I have realized that everything is somewhat...
Words: 511 - Pages: 3
... Starting off, thank you for taking the time to read this letter and taking the time to consider my section leader application for the 2018 Competition Band. I was the section leader for the 2017 Competition Band, and it has taught me a lot and made me a better leader. I have enjoyed the experience and leadership responsibilities that comes with the position of section leader, and am interested to re-apply for the same position again this year. With the success of our last season, I am inspired even more to contribute my previous experiences as both a member and a section leader, to our successes this coming season. Section leaders are very important in a band, helping making...
Words: 957 - Pages: 4
...People think that flag line can't compare to dance line and cheerleading. As spirit organizations we have our similarities and differences. We have to go through tryouts, after school practice, early Saturday morning practice, Friday night football games, halftime performances and band competitions. Twirling a flag is not as easy as other think it seems. Twirling a flag can be fun. You have to get dramatic with it. You have to be graceful with it and a little wild with hair flowing. First there’s tryouts. Tryouts start off as a clinic, which shows us the basic. We learn how to do carve, blue devil, sunshine, windmill, spin drops, speed drop, and how to jazz walk and run. I felt so lost when learning the jazz walk and run. It feels like we were running as ducks. A carve, blue devil, windmill, and spin drop were easy to learn. A windmill when you sweep the flag by your foot and drop it behind your back and come back up with. A spin drop when down on odds and up on even but you’re going in a circle. A carve is when you make two circles then a bottom circle. I couldn't get the sunshine for nothing. The sunshine start of like a windmill but you drop it behind your back grab it with your left hand. For some reason it was difficult. I started to get discouraged. I knew I couldn't give up. It's the day of tryouts. I'm nervous, palm sweating, and confidence was below zero. We went in groups of fours. My Best friend was in my groups and this was here second year on flag line. That...
Words: 1518 - Pages: 7
...wanted to learn how to play it. Since that moment, my passion has only progressed. The first time I performed, I stepped up on stage with my small guitar and managed to strum out the only 2 chords I know. A few years later I had the ability to get on stage and have the choice as to which instrument I want to play. Now, I am focused on turning my passion into a career and majoring in music business and production at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. During the summer, I had the opportunity to go to Camp Electric for the third time. Camp Electric is located at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a worship and rock and roll music camp. The professional artists at camp teach individualized classes during the day based on your instrument track and then perform concerts at night. In the morning, the classes are larger and contain everyone in the same track, but in the afternoon the classes are split up based on skill level and future motives....
Words: 548 - Pages: 3
...All of us a part of folk groups throughout even though we may not realize it at first. A folk group is a type of group, which shares a least one common element or folklore between them. For this assignment, I will be discussing about the folklore of two folk groups that were a part of my life, my high school marching band and drumline. I believe that marching bands as well as drumlines are folk groups because they share informal knowledge, customs, gestures, and traditions passed down by the band members only and not by the band instructors. For example, one of the informal traditions my high school marching band does is when we put pieces of grass from the school’s stadium inside our left shoe right before the tournament begins. The reason...
Words: 335 - Pages: 2
...what has impacted me, one thing that stands out is band. This organization has shaped who I am and has helped me develop many great qualities. I have learned how to manage my time wisely, how to be outgoing, and how to be a leader. Knowing how to manage one’s time will greatly impact how one’s day unfolds. Being a band student, I have many tasks to complete within a limited amount of time. During school, I have roughly ten minutes to make sure I get to the band hall, change my clothes, and get my equipment and my section to the field before practice starts. On Friday nights, I have to make the choice whether or not I should go home before a game. If I choose to go home, it is mandatory that I get there in time to eat and get ready to be back at the band hall before we leave for the game. At first this schedule was difficult to maintain with all my other activities and school work but after awhile band helped me learn how to manage my time not only in band but also in other aspects of my life....
Words: 512 - Pages: 3
...States, modern marching bands are most commonly associated with performing during American football games. Many American universities had bands before the twentieth century typically associated with military ROTC programs. In 1907, breaking from traditional rank and file marching, the first pictorial formation on a football field was produced as a "Block P" created by Paul Spotts Emrick, director of the Purdue All-American Marching Band. Spotts had seen a flock of birds fly in a "V" formation and decided that a band could replicate the action in the form of show formations on a field. The first halftime show at an American football game was performed by the University of Illinois Marching Illini also in 1907 at a game...
Words: 955 - Pages: 4
...google.com). A marching band is a company of instrumental musicians performing outdoors for the purpose of entertainment and sometimes in competition. Instrumentations typically include brass, woodwinds and percussion instruments (en.wikipedia.com). The marching band at Partido State University was one of the competing units among the marching bands. They joined military parades, concerts, street parades and many more. It means that joining in marching bands had a lot of trainings and practices to be done. In this regards the academic performance of the band members maybe sacrifice because of double priorities. In addition, the society may have different expectations of the performance of the band members according to their own perspectives. It was observed that there are band members who had incomplete or failing grades. It all depends on how they personally addressed problems as a student and as a band members who got failing grades and incomplete grades faced a consequence of termination as a band scholar. Statemant of the Problem This study aims to determine the problems encountered by the PSU Marching Band Members that affect their academic performance. Specifically this sought to answer the following questions: 1. What are the profiles of PSU Marching Band Members as to: a) Age b) Gender c) Instruments 2. What are the academic performance of PSU Marching Band Members? 3. What are the problems encountered by the PSU Marching Band Members which ...
Words: 3014 - Pages: 13
...way to learn and envelop yourself, escape from the world when it becomes chaotic, and get out the thoughts and emotions that just cannot be expressed as words. And I have indulged myself in it from the start. I have become drum major of the Mary G. Montgomery Pride Marching Band, made MCPSS honor band, I sit first chair of my school’s symphonic band, and I am the lead alto saxophone in the MGM jazz band. Strangely enough, this all started with a divorce. When I was in the fourth grade my parents divorced, little did I know it was a blessing in disguise because in fifth grade my father remarried and that’s when it really began; my newfound older step-sister was in the exact same band that I now lead, and because of her I decided that I too wanted to join band. Immediately, I loved it; it came so naturally, and as I progressed, I was amazed at the things I could do with music the way the seemingly subtle change of one thing could completely change the entire experience, emotion, and message that existed within a piece of music. High school is where I truly blossomed as musician. As a freshman, I began playing in the jazz band (which developed into my favorite style to play), I made first chair in the symphonic band over three seniors and a junior, I began learning how to play the bassoon, and I began to teach myself piano and guitar. Currently, I play alto saxophone, bassoon, clarinet, piano, and guitar. Being drum major has given me an experience that is like no other; I get to...
Words: 376 - Pages: 2
