Elegant dresses swooshing across the dance floor and the buzz of excited chatter in the distance fill a long white hall. At one end of the elongated room there is a circle in the middle of the dance floor with each person holding the hand of the next. As for me, I’m a part of the circle, my hand being nervously clung to by the girl next to me who is wearing a beautiful deep violet antique dress that matches her glasses. Her eyes are darting around the room full of people, her breathing becoming more erratic. The girl’s name is Mason and she’s a part of Maple Valley Youth Symphony’s Jam Club, a music group for children with special needs.
The marching band arrangement of the Divine Comedy was the most challenging piece that I have ever had to play. It was only my second year in the band, yet I was playing the center marimba in the front ensemble, an instrument which I had no experience on. I was also the only returning member, the previous year’s front ensemble comprised entirely of seniors and me, so it was my responsibility to help teach all of the new freshman how to play their instruments. Everyone depended on me to be the best one there and be the leader of the group, yet I was struggling to even play my own parts. In order to get to the level that I wanted to be at, I spent all of my free time after school practicing.
The time that I have spent in the music program at Benicia High School have been some of the most emotional, stressful, and rewarding experiences I have ever had, and I cherish every day that I spend with my peers. When I joined, I was oblivious as to what I was getting myself into. I glared with prejudice as nearly one-hundred people, all lined up in a perfect square, screamed with excitement towards me, a naive, inexperienced, and malleable child. I had previously played drums for three years, however, the band director thought that I should learn how to play a wind instrument. He gave me a choice between several instruments, some of which I had never seen before.
What kind of music could represent New York? Could it be the Broadway musical that bloomed on the heart of Manhattan? Or could it be the Hip Hop that hid in the shadow of the Bronx? To me, Broadway was more like a pretentious extravaganza, and Hip Hop carried too much burden. The true New York was perhaps just like a Jazz, indulging in its own success.
When I was younger I went to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Along side of the music being played were silent vignettes. That night as we entered the theater, I vividly remember right before we got our seats, a man handing out playbills said to my parents, "there is a point here where two men kiss each other". My parents said, "okay". We sat down and that was that.
On the day I have my orchestra fall festival concert that I was running late. At first my dress ripped in the back and my mom had to fix it. Second my mom took forever to get dressed then my family arrived late to my house because they wanted to leave as an group. I tried my best to handle the situation as best as I can, but then my dad got lost in the expressway it took us an hour to find the correct way. When we got there the teacher was beyond mad at me,so I was kind of was able to play my instruments but towards the end my punishment was to put up all of the music stands away and grab all the music sheet and put them away.
I also contemplated between my summer internship opportunity and staying for my last year of marching band. Upon questioning my plans for senior year, I discovered that an internship preparing for the future has been more beneficial than the stresses of band. First, marching band was no longer enjoyable. As a younger member of the band, I had always felt a certain form of “magic” in the group.
I often walk into jazz band at the unreasonably early hour of 7:15 and I silently (and sometimes not as silently) whine and complain about how early it is as I get ready to start. I also tend to be a bit hesitant and grumbly when we have to go outside at eight am in the freezing cold to march in circles while the cows moo encouragingly at us. These are just two of the many times that I take the opportunities that I have for granted. I have been blessed enough to play several instruments inside and out of band class, and I usually do not stop and think about how incredibly lucky I am to be able to do the things that I do. I need to recognize the opportunities that music has provided for me and realize the substantial role that it has played in my life.
With or without an instrument in my hands, I tend to find myself stuck in the background noise. As an underclassman in high school, I kept to myself, hesitant to put myself out in the open and take risks. Low risk meant safety and comfort; however, the monotony of my initial high schools years mustered up madness in my mind. Change loomed. This past year alone, I’ve participated in class dance-offs, played Powder Puff volleyball, camped out on the football field for band camp, and so much more, all of which being new experiences and emulating my decision to challenge myself with a baritone
The lights are dim on the stage. The fog machine pelts the atmosphere with copious amounts of white smoke, filling the air of the church with reflective smoke to bring out the vibrant colors of the stage lights. The band and singers are ready to play and worship. They are ready to perform in front of hundreds of people and come together and use their talents to evoke emotions out of the people before them. I am part of the band, and my role is the bass player.
On October 27, 2014, I had braces on my two front teeth. They needed to be straightened up. A week later, my music teacher brought all my classmates to the band room when I was 5th grade. I was excited as a firework blasting of to space. When we went there, the whole class tried to visualize what will be in the gigantic room.
Throughout my lifetime I have always had one magical moment that I always think of when I look at my favorite object. This very special object is my trumpet. Whenever I look at it, I feel the sensation of pure pride and joy. My trumpet will always hold a special place in my heart and I feel I would be deeply depressed if anything bad were to happen to it. Playing a musical piece perfect for the first time is my most sentimental memory of my trumpet.
Everybody has to pass that point in life when they ask what I am doing with my life. Maybe it was a movie, or a book, a class conference or even a thought of a friend that make you think about how you got in there and why. When I go back to think about why do I do what I do, and if I am happy doing it. I can 't think in a specific moment. Music had always been there, so I don 't really know when or how I decided to pursue a carrier in music.
I have been in choir since I was five, in the many years I have spent with the choir I have learned many new things. They Include: discipline, and the importance of listening, especially to your elders as they have valuable information and guidance that they can provide you with. Acceptance, many of the people I have met through choir have had trouble with things that are hard to talk about, or are part of the LGBT+ community, since befriending them I have found that people can accepting. Theory, obviously I have learned this with the books and theory tuesday, but I want to continue this into college and a carrier eventually. Friendships, because of the Golden Gate Festival I now have two great friends from Austria.
The other day in band class, it was just a normal day with these band dorks and all a sudden, this girl named Madison started to play a piece of music called “The Tempest.” and she did it so awful,like she was squealing and it was just awful. Then we were like we can play better than you can. Then all of a sudden we were all trying to play better than each other and ended up playing up playing the best, funnest piece of music that we tweaked by just trying to be better than each other. Now that's my talent right there, band!Not everyone can play an instrument, so that makes doing band specia.
