BAND GEEK

I'm a band geek.

At least, I was a band geek. That classification doesn't quite mean anything after you've graduated from high school and are no longer actually in a marching band. Truth be told, I loved band. I loved band. In my junior and senior years of high school, I believe I missed a total of three events. The first was when I was very ill. I had missed school that day and instead of being at the game I was at the hospital getting a prescription for some high-powered cough medicine. The other two occurred on the same day; it was a girl's basketball game followed by a boy's basketball game. Or perhaps in the opposite order, I don't recall. The latter two I just didn't feel like going to. Still, not a bad track record.

I also participated in every solo and ensemble festival that I could, from seventh grade on up. I did miss one year, but that doesn't count. That would be my sophomore year, when our band took a little trip to Williamsburg, VA. Our band director wasn't paying much attention to solo/ensemble that year, and didn't count it against us for letter requirements and such because we were more focused on preparing our music and everything else for the trip. But I did a solo each of those years, and and also participated in group performances and a duet. I play trumpet, by the way.

I was kind of a leader in my junior year; if there was a solo part I was almost sure to get it. We played Folk Song Suite by R. Vaughan Williams I believe it is. I took the solo trumpet part for that, and I practiced my ass off to play that part correctly. It was actually quite an honor. I also was chosen to be a leader for our ensemble that year, playing some nice little jazz tune for the solo/ensemble festival that year. I had the role of introducing myself, and everybody else in our ensemble, and stating something I liked about the song. "I like the jazzy feel to the song," I told them, and everybody laughed. I don't know if they all knew it was a jazz song, if it was a commonly known tune or anything; I just knew that it sounded good and I liked playing it!

I loved band. It really gave me a true sense of purpose in high school. It was the one group in school where I felt like I really belonged, where I could just be myself, and the best opportunity I had to grow and gain leadership. My band director was a pretty special dude. A large part of the reason why I loved band so much, and part of the reason why I tried so hard in band, is because the director straight-up told me, "Anthony, I want you to be a leader in this band". That was near the end of my sophomore year.

How did I gain his attention? Practicing. I had been pretty quiet, and was usually shoved to the back of the pack playing 3rd/4th trumpet, occasionally 2nd if I was very lucky. During class one day, everybody was having trouble with what I thought was a very simple rhythm. I knew the rhythm but I was afraid to stick out, to be heard. He might have known that I knew the correct way to play it, I don't know. But he was pissed off that nobody could play it right. So, we're playing a song, and we get to that part. I play that part where everybody kept fucking up, and I was audible, and he noticed me right there. That is when my band career would truly begin.

I don't quite know what he saw in me, or why he specifically told me that he wanted me to be a leader in his band program. I kind of don't care, either. It just feels good knowing that a person you look up to trusts you, and they're willing to help you lead the group along. My time in band was, to say the least, the best time of my life. I had so much fun, and learned a lot about life and music.

It was sad to walk away from it all so quickly, so sudden. When graduation came, I was shoved out of this group, never to play again with these people I had known for four years or more. I was shoved out the door and everything I had done had been forgotten, waiting for some other kid to come along to do the same things and eventually be forgotten as well. I think the one thing I wished for was to win an award, to get my name on a plaque. I was always in search of the Most Improved award, and I felt like I went from being a nobody to being a leader. I felt like I had a legitimate shot at that. There was also the Jazz award, and the John Philip Sousa award; I was hoping for the Sousa. That had become a goal and obsession.

I didn't get the John Philip Sousa award, or the most improved award. But I feel like the people who did deserve the award were well-deserving of the award. After all, it doesn't really bother me that much anymore. I know that I had to have been in the conversation for either one of those awards. I wasn't a very good student either, so maybe that might have hurt my chances on the Sousa. Anyway, the award winners were all very deserving, and I can't think of anybody from my graduation class who should not have gotten an award. We were, I suppose, the last of the greats.

Anyway, feel free to discuss and share your own band experiences, or talk about somebody who you looked up to that trusted you and guided you along your path.

Thank you!
The Frak