Being in the East Stroudsburg North Band made your time in high school bearable. For 40 minutes a day, 180 days a year, you were in your favorite room in the school, doing what you loved - playing music. Although high school itself may be a blur, most of your memories from high school took place in band. At the conclusion of your four years, you were a proud band geek that didn’t want to leave.
1. You will forever be haunted by “English Folk Song Suite”.
2. Mr. Bakner threatened to give all your clothes to goodwill if you left them in the back rooms for too long.
The back practice rooms were your second home, so it made sense to keep an extra pair of clothes back there. Soon, that extra pair became 25 t-shirts, 13 pairs of pants, 8 hoodies, and 3 ½ pairs of shoes. When Mr. Bakner said he would give your clothes away, you know that the children at goodwill had a nice holiday.
3. Seeing this paper made you cry almost instantly.
4. You had band lessons four to five times a week just because.
Somehow, your teachers believed you when you told them you would miss their class eight times in a row. Let’s be honest, playing through concert music for the millionth time was better than sitting in math class.
5. Sometimes, a new trophy, plaque, or award would just show up in the band room.
Who won that? Where was I? Wait, that performance was a competition? Wow, we’re good.
6. The words “band substitute teacher” made you very uncomfortable.
I’m not sure what was more upsetting; not seeing Mr. Bakner for a day, or having a non-band member enter the band room, invading your sacred territory.
7. There was a ghost haunting the water fountain.
8. Most of your high school memories took place on the band bus.
Oh, the band bus. The place where friends are made, tears are shed, and where it’s a tradition to fall on top of one another. You always lose at least one article of clothing, possibly a shoe, and unless you’re a senior, you don’t sit in the back seat.
9. The parades in East Stroudsburg made you contemplate death for 2.9 miles.
It’s either too hot to the point you’re sweating more than ever before, or too cold that you can’t move your fingers to play your instrument. At the beginning of the parade, you have perfect posture. By the end, you’re pretty sure you have a hernia, scoliosis, and you just want to go home and sleep.
10. Seeing “Joyful Journey” on the stand made everyone cry.
You know it’s graduation music day when you walk in the band room and there’s at least one senior crying. “German Love Song” nor “Pomp and Circumstance” can hold as much weight as “Joyful Journey”.
11. At least one of your friends went on to major in music education.
Although none of us can truly be Mr. Bakner, it doesn’t stop some of us from trying.
12. It was a norm to see your bandmates half naked during marching band season.
Weird tan lines for days....
13. Some people came to the football games just to see the band perform.
14. The worst part about Mr. Bakner being absent was having to eat lunch in the cafeteria with the rest of the school population.
Where do I sit? I don't know any of these kids! Why can't I sit in the hallway outside of the band room?
15. Your heart has never pounded harder than when you were called on for a spot check.
You can play a part perfectly 100 times but once you’re called on for a spot check, you couldn’t tell the difference between a flat and a sharp.
16. Just seeing Uncle Flicker made your day a whole lot better.
That adorable face that could brighten up any room.
17. It was inevitable to run into band alumni at football games, concerts, band competitions, and even in your dreams.
Once in the North Band, always in the North Band.
18. You know all the words to “Louie Louie”.
LOUIE LOUIE, OH NO. WE GOTTA GO, YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH. LOUIE LOUIE, OH NO. WE GOTTA GO.
19. “Boo Hiss Shake Fist” is your personal motto.
Did you miss an assignment? Boo Hiss Shake Fist. Did you forget to show up to a football game? Boo Hiss Shake Fist. Did you eat all the food that the band parents brought? BOO HISS SHAKE FIST!
20. At the end of the day, being part of the ESN Band Program made you the person you are today.
And you wouldn't trade in a moment of it.
