Personal Narrative: My Decision To Join The Anacortes Band

In the September of 2009 I made the decision to join the Anacortes Band program. I stayed with program all through middle school and high school, and in the end of my Sophomore year I was voted to be the leader of the Flute section. I was one of the youngest leaders my band director has ever seen. Being section leader, I had to lead sectionals, welcome and teach new members the ways of our band, and to help younger players in class when they were struggling. I may not have been the most experienced musician and I certainly was not the oldest, however through my natural talent as a leader I was able to grow my section to one of the closest groups in the band. Although the band ends up spending a lot of time together because of trips, Football and Basketball games, and being interested in the same things, we do not spend much

Our Director encouraged other groups to follow the Flutes lead and to try some of the same things. The beginning of the year was fantastic, we were all having fun and enjoying being together. However, there was one person in my section that did not get on board with the bonding everyone else was doing. No matter how we tried to include her she would not come to things and was angry that the section leader position had not gone to her. Although this experience was not a pleasant one, I learned a lot about how to deal with people and what it means to be a leader. Through my experiences in leadership positions, I have learned many lessons. I have learned when to ask people for help, when I could not get the person in my group to corporate or at least not cause problems I went to my band director and counselor and we made an action plan do that she was please and felt like she was contributing. I have learned when to take a stand and do what I know is right. And I have learned that small actions can make a big impact and even change the