There are things that happen in band that you just won't see anywhere else. Going into my senior year as a trumpet player, I have a pretty good indication of how the rest of the year will play out based off of these noteable memories.

May

As junior year nears its end, the band director begins to pass out the music for the following year's halftime show. Everyone fills with anticipation while they wait to find out what the show will be and what parts they get. When you get home, you try and play as much as you can with the recordings online and after about an hour or so of playing, you begin to get chopped out. This childlike excitement dies out after about two weeks of having the music, so you kind of start to slack when it comes to practicing.

June to July

As the summer passes you realize you've only practiced maybe three or four times and begin to panic because you have nothing memorized. So, you frantically start to text your other band friends to see how much they've practiced. Once you find out that most of them have practiced just as much or less than you, you sigh with relief. (OK, listen. I don't care who you are or how old you are, but don't act like you haven't done this at least once. I get you. We are the same. Band geeks know how each other's minds work. OK, now back to the story.)

August

Band camp! Time for a week filled with sweating and dehydration and possibly even tears! Getting to spend seven hours a day with some of your best friends while doing something you love is one of the best feelings in the world. Oh, and did I mention tan lines? Band camp tan lines are one of the most fashionable looks of the musician community. Trust me. Nothing says "date me" like a nice farmer's tan with a sock and sunglasses sunburn to match. It's even better if you're a saxophone player, too! The neck strap tan adds a whole other level of sexiness that only a band member can describe.

Also, DCI Finals are this month so all of the band members act like the Super Bowl is happening, too. It's prime time to be a band kid.

September to October

It's the belly of the beast. The heart of football season is among us. Spending every Friday evening at a football field may not be the ideal hangout spot for an arts kid, but when you're in the band, it's the place to be. Traveling as far as two hours away on an overcrowded school bus with 50 something sweaty teenage musicians to perform for a mere 11 minutes seems dumb to most people, but to us, it's one of the most cherished moments of our high school career.

November to December

Marching season has ended. One of the most tragic parts of the year, but something magical happens! Concert season! (I mean, it's not as exciting as marching season in my opinion, but still, I'm just happy to play my trumpet.) Around this time of year, concert season usually adds more competition between your band friends. Aside from the annual Christmas Concert, there is usually a handful of kids who are in the midst of prepping for some type of recital or audition. Whether that be All-State Auditions or a Solo and Ensemble competition, they are practicing all the time. When I say all the time, I mean all the time.

January to February

Around this time is when concert season really begins to slow down. This is audition/recital season, so, that handful of kids that I mentioned before? Yeah, they're freaking out. Most of the class is reserved for sectionals or independent practicing to benefit these chosen few. As for the rest of the band members. I'd like to say everyone is practicing their scales or finding music online to play along with or really just anything to keep their chops up, but we all know this is too good to be true. This is the time when band members get creative and I don't mean musically creative. I mean they become so incredibly bored that they start making weird instrument hybrids between flute bodies and reed mouthpieces, they make poor attempts at haunted houses in the instrument closet, or percussionists stack drum cases to see who can climb up the highest.

March to April

The annual Band Festival is nearing and the director is struggling to keep his/her sanity. During this stressful two-ish month period, if you hear screams from outside the band room, just know that everything is okay. It is normal to hear the band director screaming at the flutes and piccolos for playing extremely loud, the percussionists for trying to push the director's tempo into oblivion, and for the trumpets to quit trying to turn every part they play into a solo.

Now, once band festival rolls around, all of this tension magically disappears overnight. Everyone is prepared. Wait, no I take that back—the majority of the band is prepared. (There is always the trombone who forgets their music at home or the percussionist who can't find the correct sticks or the clarinet player who broke their only reed in half only minutes before performing.)

May

As everyone is packing everything away for the summer, you finally realize this was your last year as a member of your high school band. You look around the band room and see all of the underclassmen smiling from ear to ear while the director begins to pass out the music for the upcoming football season, and remember this excitement as if it were only a few days ago. Your gaze turns to the other seniors in the room. You notice they have the same expression on their face as you do and you know you're all thinking the exact same thing. In the midst of the moment, the bell rings. You snap out of your daze and begin to tear up at the thought of leaving so many great friends and memories behind.

As you move toward the door, your band director stops you and the other seniors to give goodbye hugs and last minute wishes of good luck. You take one deep breath and step foot out the band room door. You're hesitant to leave, but as you exit the room, you know that you have just spent the last four years making some of the greatest memories and friends that you will cherish for the rest of your life.