Dear Hometown School Bands,

First thing's first, the bands we have are something special, and I am so grateful to have been a part of them. Both concerts, winter and spring, were wonderful, and I really enjoyed the music. I was drawn to tears at several points, not because of the music, but of the people playing it. The band that I gave seven years of my life to gave me immeasurable, wonderful qualities back.

Band taught me so much in my seven years, things that are so incredibly important:

1. Thank you, sixth grade band, for teaching me that when I put my mind to something, I can do it. And thank you for teaching me that just because I can’t do it exactly the way I want to, that good can still come of it. If I hadn’t failed the percussion “test,” I would have not discovered my love for the clarinet and squeaked through an entire year of playing it.
2. Thank you, seventh and eighth grade band, for teaching me that others’ opinions don’t matter. If it makes me happy, then I can do it. If I had cared about how I sounded to others, I would have never played in clarinet choir, or in a concert. I was learning how to play, and sounded awful most of the time -- but I learned that it was about loving what you do, not about how you sounded.
3. Thank you, all of middle school band. You taught me that my parents are behind me in everything, through the time that it mattered the most. When other kids were pushing their parents away, I learned to thank mine for putting up with my awful squealing and squeaking from an old instrument and new player.
4. Thank you, freshman band, for getting me through freshman year. Without band that year, I would not have come out of my shell comfortably. Thank you for teaching me to look up to people, but not view them as idols. They were something to aspire to be like, and those people became some of my closest friends.
5. Thank you, marching band. You taught me more than anything else. You taught me not only how to be on a team, but how to be a leader. You taught me how to love another instrument, and you taught me to see my strengths and my weaknesses, and to work just as hard on both. Thank you, ankle, for deciding to split in two my senior year. The year I was supposed to be squad leader, section leader and a role model for those around me. Thank you for humbling me, and thank you for teaching me that leading is just as much emotional investment as it is physical. Thank you, Mr. Band Director, for making me an alternate my senior year. Being an alternate taught me to be flexible in every situation, and how to put so much effort into a position that others seem to see as something bad or lesser than a "normal" player. Being an alternate taught me to be humble, listen to others’ leading, and drive my hardest, no matter if my position changes from week to week. If I had been in my normal squad, I would have never learned these things.
6. Thank you, class B band, for teaching me to branch out of my comfort zone. For teaching me to reach higher, and to do the absolute best that I can and more in every situation. Thank you for teaching me to play a part I’m not used to, and thank you for showing me that I can be flexible.
7. Thank you, class AA band, for the last two years. For teaching me that if I work hard enough, I can be a good player. Thank you for teaching me that I can love the music I make with people just as much as the people themselves.
8. Thank you, band. You taught me so many things. You taught me to be humble and flexible in every situation, and to step out of my comfort zone. You taught me that being in a different situation than expected or wanted isn’t a bad thing, but a reason to work harder. Thank you for teaching me to look at the strengths and weaknesses I have, and to work just as hard at perfecting both. Thank you for teaching me to look out for when others are falling behind, and encouraging them to keep up. Thank you for teaching me to look for the beauty in the most “contemporary” of pieces, which taught me to look for the beauty in the worst situations. Thank you for giving me friends that have lasted beyond my time in high school, and thank you for everything you’ve done for me.

I may not be a music major, and I may not be involved in any sort of ensemble in college. I may not pick up my clarinet very often, and I may not even be sure when the last time I broke in a new reed was. I may not play music every day, but it constantly plays in my heart. Thank you for seven years. I never realized how much band meant to me until I wasn’t in one anymore, when I chose against playing in an ensemble in college. It was a hard decision, and coming back today reminded me of how much I miss band.

I hope that none of the students in my home school bands take it for granted. It sounds sappy, it sounds cheesy, but you really don’t understand the role things play in your life until they’re suddenly missing.

Thank you, all of my band directors, for the memories and lessons that you’ve taught me throughout the years. Thank you for helping shape who I am, and thank you for all the work you do for these students. I hope they come to appreciate you as much as I have.