In the 6th grade, we were suppose to choose to pick either chorus or band for an elective. I ended up joining the school band and playing the flute for 6th and 7th grade and then quit in the 8th grade because I didn't want to play anymore. I went all the way up to senior year before joining the band again after my band teacher convinced me to join again. After joining again, I was somehow convinced into joining the marching band as well. While deciding to join the marching band, I managed to get the great idea of learning how to play an instrument that weighed more than I did- the good ole tuba but honestly it's actually a sousaphone. The idea of learning how to play the sousaphone aka tuba blew a lot of people's minds because I was such a small girl and honestly I already knew how to play the flute so why wouldn't I just want to continue to play the flute.

I was noththing but full of exticement learning how to play the sousaphone. There wasn't nothing more exciting than learning how to play a new instrument and learning from one of your favroite cousins.

Marching band and regular band was honestly one of my greatest memories from highschool and senior year. I became really close friends with people I never thought I would be friends with. It made me actually realize what really mattered to me. It made me realize that the band family was the family I was looking for. The bandroom was a room that was a safe space for everyone no matter what was going on. As soon as I walked into the bandroom everyday, all my problems seemed to just disappear.

While joining the marching band, I spent a lot of time learning the notes (more like what values I needed to push and leave open for certain notes and when to do so), learning when to exactly breathe while playing, learning how to carry an insturment that weighs more than me, learning how to march properly (which honestly I think I properly marched in two parades), learning how drink a lot of water the night before and the day of a parade, and lastly I learned how to sleep with my instrument.

Two of the most memorable parades that I went to was our Sherburne trip and the Hershey Park trip.

The Sherburne trip was a pretty eventful one for me for several reasons.

(The picture above is before I got sick with the senior crew)

It was my first very "stressful" trip to Sherburne-I had to preform in concert band and marching band. During the marching band performance I ended up getting sick due to the weather being extremely hot, wearing lots and lot of cotton, and not getting a lot of water. Hate to be a little graphic but I got so sick I was throwing up on the side of the road and had 2 or 3 people trying to undress me down to my shorts and t-shirt while throwing me in the back of an ambulance. At the end of the day, I just ended up drinking a crap ton more water and gatorade and having tons of cold towels on my head and ice packs everywhere. Thankful my marching band family was extremely supportive and caring and after I was released to go watch the awards with my family, they all kept an eye on me to make sure nothing bad happened (plus they needed me for the parade the next day).

(This was after I got sick with Ty)

Hershey Park was a trip to Hershey Park and had a mini parade for a good 5 minutes and then we were allowed to ride as many roller coasters as I wanted for the rest of the day. After marching for only 5 minutes or so, our marching band came home with a beautiful 1st place trophy for our lovely collection.

Like look at that beautiful thing, I honestly couldn't be more proud to have helped bring this bad boy home.

One of the best parts of traveling with the marching band was the bus trips with my family. The other best parts of traveling with the marching band and going to parade was listening to the comments that our band would receive during the parade. I don't think I could count on my hands the amount of times I heard little children and parents saying, "Oh my goodness, look at that little girl carrying that tuba,""WOW! Look at the girl with the tuba". There was something about hearing those phrases that made me feel like I was like defying the odds or something.

It may look like we are crazy and you are right we are. But we were having the time of our lives and not to worried about what people thought of us.

Well doing my time in the marching band, I came to realize that life is short and there is no reason why you shouldn't take chances and try new things. The band taught me that nobody is perfect and we all come together for one thing and that thing is the band and love of music. The band family is a bunch of kids who feel out of place but when we are all together we don't feel so out of place because it's a judge free zone and everybody is created equal. I wasn't the only one whose life was changed because of the band, I asked some of my fellow band members to tell me what they loved about being a part of the band:

" I was a huge part of band because I was somewhere where there were people with for the most part the same interests as me. Everyone was super funny and carefree it seemed, and yes very welcoming. I think I had some of my best memories with the band and have long term friends due to this. it helped boost my confidence and encouraged me to keep trying at everything. Success never comes easy. " - E

"I loved band because music is a beautiful language that everyone should know. And it inspired me to never give up on my dreams." -Ty

" Band and marching band taught me to always keep striving to be better and never settle for just ok. It allowed me to make amazing connections both within our marching band and with many other marching bands. It was a place where I and many others felt like they belonged when feeling like an outsider everywhere else. It helps me realize that I wanted to get a music business degree in college! " -J.B

" Especially with Fiacco. She's probably the main reason why I stuck with it, not just for the music but for the band "family" seeing as that's what we're---- one giant dysfunctional family. If you needed help someone was always there to help regardless if it was band related or not." -K.H

"Band was where I met all of my best friends from high school (or at least my best friends at least made it into band family eventually in your case :p) hs wouldn't have been the same without it." -C.K

"I think band was so important to me because we were a family. Every bad day, we could go to the band room and Fiacco or one of the other band members would be there to talk and cheer us up. I think band was so important to me because we were a huge mix of individuals but we created something together, something bigger and more beautiful than ourselves. Being a part of band is being apart of a family that has your back no matter what." -H.R

I guess what I'm trying to say is that being a part of the school band and marching band really changed my life as well as others. I truly do believe that if I didn't join the band again and then join the marching band, my life wouldn't be the same because it really helped develop my character that is for sure.

"Who's phone? Sousaphone"