Band Life
Band Life
As a student, visitor, teacher or parent walks around campus during breaks, lunch or after school, we hear the chitter-chatter of the teens. Now, Mountain View being the school it is, many of the students are involved in multiple things: football, swim, baseball, band drama, to many to list. But if you listen carefully, many are saying that they practically live at the school, and this is true. With all the time commitments of just one extra-curricular activity, that thing becomes your life and in time, it becomes a second family. Here at the Home of the Toros, my second family has become the massive Toro Marching Band.
Coming in as a sophomore, it can be mind-blowing, auditions at your junior high with some crazy bald man staring you down every second that you play. Then comes the information, two weeks before the last day of school, with fair share payments, requests for working games or braiding hair. And all you are
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thinking through this is: "Ohmygod-ohmygod-ohmygod. What did I get myself into!?!?!".
The Audition results come back, and you got third chair music, thinking, "Ok, not so badÂ…" until you open the envelope. Pulling out the music, and looking it over, seeing markings and notes that you have never seen before, because your old band teachers had you playing: "Hot-Cross-Buns", and they expect you to have it memorized. Then that phrase comes back, "Ohmygod-ohmygod-ohmygod. What did I get myself into!?!?!".
But with practice throughout the summer the music gets easier, and Band Camp starts to creep up. Up until then, you have no idea who anyone is, your band friends from junior high dropped, and joined JV Football so you're at it alone. But walking into the Pre-Band Camp meeting, there is a sense of comfort, with all the other sophomore band parents in the room, waiting for the bald man to start the meeting. Mom pushes you over...
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