On November 1st, 2014 at 11:34pm the Summerville High School marching band was announced the SCBDA 5A State Champion for the first time in a decade. I believe this to be my greatest accomplishment, being a part of an organization that accomplished so much even though we were the underdogs of the rest of the competition. Our high school was not the most musically talented, nor are we the largest. However, the heart and soul we put into our performance was recognized by the judges.
My senior year was a great year for me. I was elected the Band captain by not only the staff but the entire marching band. My band director, Leslie Gilreath, wrote me as the main soloist throughout the show and got to perform in front of thousands every competition.
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I have been shown how to work with others, how to put my pride aside, how to lead as well as follow, when to speak and when to listen, the importance of open communication, pay attention to detail, and to many other skills too comfortably list. What I want to do with my life is to teach. Mr. Gilreath and his band had such a positive impact on my life. I aspire to be what he was to me and the rest of his students, a fatherly figure who we could openly talk to and help us through our lives. Mr. Gilreath created a family for us band geeks and we loved being able to make music with a man that truly cared about us and what we did with our music. A teacher is so much more than a mean of gaining information, teachers can some of the most influential role models in an adolescent’s life. Teachers like this need to be able to listen and communicate with their students on an equal level. Teachers have a bad habit of talking at students and not paying enough attention to their needs. Communication between student and teacher is what separates the loved teacher from those you wish would relocate to another galaxy. I believe my leadership roles in my high school marching band have prepared me to become a great teacher. The arts teach us how to listen and support each other, they teach us how every person is important to a product and to treat all