Unanticipated and lasting character changes resulted from my performing with the Wissahickon Marching Unit. Humility and coping with failure were commonplace lessons in my first year, as I joined amidst a “rebuilding” season with rookies comprising more than two-thirds of the band. Though frustrating considering the quantity of time I had committed with little external validation, the end result was resilience, an unwavering dedication, and greater patience. Unlike many activities where several elite members can carry an entire group, the marching unit’s nature necessarily and firmly instills the value of inclusion, as the position and movement of every individual is literally vital to the formation and success of the whole. For me, aiding