Personal Narrative: Marching Band In High School
I stood seven steps from the start line, hands sweaty and lips trembling. It seemed as if at any moment I would break the position of attention: feet at a forty-five degree angle, knees slightly bent, chin just above the horizon, and shoulders up, back, and down. Though I always dreamed of representing the Benicia High School Panther Band as their drum major, the lone figure in front of the block of blue and gold wearing a white British uniform and a brown bearskin hat, it never occurred to me that I was finally there. There was no way I could not be nervous; it was the last marching practice before my first competition in my career. Nevertheless, there was no escape.
The Thursday night lights beamed down on me as kickoff approached. It was the last game of the 8th grade football season and the last chance to make my mark on a personally rather ordinary season. We were playing Celina, a team known to be a powerful opponent. I was on the kickoff return team, playing on the far left side of the field and on that particular night we were set to receive the kick. The referee’s whistle pierced the warm and soundless autumn air.
The transition from childhood to adulthood occurs when an individual is able to recognize the impact he or she can leave upon their community, gaining life skills doing so. An accomplishment that marked my transition from childhood to adulthood, would be best demonstrated by the process and completion of a leadership responsibility when I performed my Eagle Scout Project. I joined the scouting program when I was very young, and have been very active since ever. Becoming an Eagle Scout has many challenges that a young Boy Scout must undertake, including the completion of a community-based project, which is an important step in obtaining this notable rank. The Eagle Scout Project is designed for the scout to learn different leadership responsibilities.
It was the moment I had been practicing for. I was finally going to try out for my middle school cheer team and hopefully make it. I was so excited I could barely focus on my classes that day. I had run through all of the steps at least 50 times that day. I had always wanted to do cheerleading and this was my moment to do it.
It all came down to this. All of the long hours of hard work, all leading up to this one final practice. Next Saturday the Liberty High School Marching Band would be competing at the FootHill Band Review and every member had to give it their all if we wanted to have a successful practice. It was a brisk October night, the leaves on the trees were turning a beautiful auburn, and the sun disappearing into a golden sea behind Mount Diablo. As we got into our formation in the parking, I felt the brass slowly turning my hands numb as I held my trumpet.
Leadership: taking the initiative to establish a clear vision, share it with those whom are being led a certain direction, and coordinating all interests to accomplish glorious victories. A drum major is not simply the person who conducts the marching band, they are the one responsible for taking on a magnificent leadership role; they must be role model for all of its members and it is their job to make each and every member feel valued, no matter what their position may be. As a drum major, I would strive to lead the East Haven High School North Branford High School Co-op marching band to victory on and off the field. The first step to being a superb drum major is to possess extraordinary leadership skills. I have been a leader in various musical aspects, as well as in other areas that have prepared me to
Presently, High School has been changing point before going to college and beginning my dream. Before my breaking point I need one more step. I required the doubt to decide if I would be joining an extra curriculum activity, demanding decision for a freshman to make before even meeting my teachers. A month before I started school, my brother convinced me to join the Hawthorne High School Band and Color Guard. I meet the band director Mr. Hughes, who has always believed I had a talent and did his best to polish my color guard skills year by year to be the outstanding person he sees.
Throughout my Life and high school career I have spent many hours with teachers and coaches. I have had many experiences, but the one that stands out most to me is my former cheerleading coach and gym teacher, Ms. Traska. She coached our team with no background in cheerleading. She brought us closer as a team and being part of this team has made a difference in my life. The two years that Ms. Traska coached were the most fun, productive, and memorable years that I have been on the team.
To the average person, the high school marching band is nothing more than a bunch of geeks that play during half time at the football games or monopolize the benches by the band hall, but to me, it is so much more. To me it is a family, a safe haven, a creative outlet, a home. I have been involved in marching band for three years, going on four, and I wouldn 't trade the experience for anything. When I entered high school as a scared and awkward freshman, I immediately had three hundred people that I could rely on. The program quickly became like a second home to me and opened up a whole new path in my life.
I was waiting for my turn to go out into the gym and tryout for the school cheerleading team. I don’t think I have ever been that nervous before. The girl that was in front of me was coming back from the gym, and it was now my turn. I was going to try out for the school cheer squad. I have never done cheer before so it was nerve-racking.
I would participate in the university's marching band. I have found a positive environment and happiness in marching band, and I could never see myself quitting. I find that whenever I'm having a bad day, marching band rehearsal always puts a smile on my face. During a football game, or a simple 3 hour practice, I can forget about my outside problems and focus on what I love to do: band.
I have learned several things in band, but the one that sticks out the most is learning to be a humble leader. When thinking about how to persuade you that I was the most deserving of the scholarship, I was at a loss for words. I couldn’t figure out how to say why I was qualified without making myself sound egotistical and self absorbed with everything I have done. Though I have had several accomplishments that I have been a part of, I don’t want to discuss them in this paper. I don’t have to because you have seen and know what I have done in band.
I have been cheering for five years now. I can not remember the times when I was not a cheerleader, it is hard to imagine myself doing anything other than cheer or simply not cheering at all. I fell in love with the sport and within time, my passion towards it grew even more. Cheerleading consumed my life, it was my only focus. I was fortunate enough to grow up with coaches that pushed me to reach limits I did not even know I had, as well as teammates whom I shared the same passion towards the sport with.
When a person hears the word obstacle, high school cheerleading rarely would come to mind. For me that’s all that I think of. My last season of high school cheerleading, in a nutshell, was short and bitter. Life threw injuries to all members of my stunt group, girls were caddy and spread rumors, but most importantly, I didn 't have fun. Around the beginning of November, I got a concussion.
The best moment in my life was when I went to Chicago for a band trip. We did many things, including seeing the Chicago symphony, which had three long songs, watching the Blue Man Group, which was very colorful and messy, and walking around the city for about one hour before going to Giordano’s Pizza, even though it wasn’t on the itinerary. We also went to the Museum of Science and Industry. The museum had both exhibits and shops that were fun and educational. My band also got to play in another museum that has terrible sound quality.
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