Let me start out by saying that I am not and never have been in band. I am not musically inclined whatsoever. I do not know first hand the struggles and the time and effort that band members put into doing what they love. However, my little sister has been in band (marching and concert) for four years now, so I have been able to catch a glimpse of the struggles that band members face. Honestly, it’s heartbreaking to me to see my sister come home from football games or concerts devastated because people weren’t paying attention to their performances - performances that the band has spent weeks if not months preparing for to perform solely for the enjoyment of the audience.

Today my sister came home from school in tears because they had performed their Christmas concert for the high school and apparently everyone talked and was on their phones the entire time and only a few people clapped when they were done. I’ve seen my sister come home after Friday night football games upset because during half-time no one paid attention to their performance but instead went to the concession stands or the bathrooms. My sister (along with the rest of the band) spends at least sixteen hours a week at the high school practicing for either marching band or concert band and then she comes home and practices here too. She puts so much time and effort into doing what she loves and it always seems to go unnoticed.

To those of you who are in band and feel like your hours spent practicing and performing are under appreciated - don’t feel that way. I see the countless hours, the money, the effort and the love and dedication you all put into it through my sister. It doesn’t matter what others think- you’re doing something that you love. Pursue it with everything you have in you.

To those of you outsiders- the ones not in band. To the ones who go to the football games and pay no attention to the marching bands half time performance. To those of you who didn’t pay a lick of attention to the band concert today that the band put hours of practice into for you guys to enjoy listening to- what are you doing? Yeah, band isn’t football. It isn’t baseball, soccer, or cheer. But the band members put in the same, if not more, time and effort into what they do. Learning how to play music is like learning a foreign language basically. It’s difficult and it doesn’t just come naturally for most unlike athleticism. It’s a lot of work for the band members and that’s why the audience of their performances should just be respectful and give them the ten to fifteen minutes that they need to perform and then applaud them when they are done. Don’t make them feel like what they do, what they are passionate about, isn’t important. Don’t make them feel like they aren’t good enough because they are in band. Don’t make them discouraged because they feel like no one appreciates them. Just give them a few minutes of your time, a little respect, and some appreciation. I promise it will go a long way.

Band members- your talents are truly amazing and some of us do appreciate the time and effort and dedication that you guys put into doing what you love. Keep on doing it.

“A band is not proud because it performs well; it performs well because it is proud.” - George Parks