Personal Experience In Marching Band

Being a veteran in marching band means that you have to step up and be an example. It doesn't matter if you are a part of the bands leadership or not because first year marchers are looking up to you for guidance. My goal every year after my was to make myself available to help the younger students in every way that I could. Looking back on my first year and how unapproachable the section leaders seemed to me, I knew that they would need someone outside of the leadership team to help them. At first I just did little things. I knew that the most important piece to doing well in marching band was liking it enough to dedicate yourself to it. So I tried to make it enjoyable for them by making it a point to talk to them when I could. I didn't want
Adding the struggles of entering high school for the first time on top of my parents recent divorce was too much for me to handle. I became depressed. Even though I had never experienced depression first hand, I knew the symptoms all too well. I had watched many of my friends struggle with the same problem before. Recognizing it in myself was terrifying because I knew what it had done to them and what it could do to me. It got worse as the year went on. All sorts of things triggered it: meeting my dad's new girlfriend, not having any friends at my new school, and the stress of all my classes. Getting through it was hard. I tried to focus on the things I could control and the people I had who would always support me. It sounds pretty cliche, but I started writing more and drowning my problems out with music. These two things were my only outlet. I never told anyone I was depressed. Talking about it scared me. I didn't want that kind of attention but more than that I didn't want to add to their own problems. The few friends that I could have talked with were struggling with depression of their own. My parents definitely didn't need another reason to worry. They were already struggling with financial problems and other problems that come with divorce. So I did all that I could do, I waited it out. Then finally, one day it paid off. I don't remember what I was doing, but I remember it just hitting me that it was over.
For as long as I can remember I've been determined to keep my GPA above a 3.5. This has never really been an issue for me until high school. Managing honors classes and marching band both was especially difficult. I had to become really efficient with time management to be able to do both. I also had to become better at staying in touch with my teachers and asking for help when I need it. By doing this I've been able to keep my GPA at a 3.7. My other priority for myself was getting into my school's top band by my senior year. I didn't think I would be able to for a while. I was at a disadvantage because unlike many of my peers, I didn't have a private teacher to help me. It took a lot of practice to finally make it in, especially during my junior year. I spent months working on my audition. This year I've finally made it in. Not only that but I've also made the All City band this year. I've come a long way in the past for years and I still have further to go. Thanks to these past few years I know I have the tools I need to keep getting