It took us hard work over the summer with struggles of band members' instrument being out of pitch or off timing etc. Although, it was all worth it until we heard the words from the announcer at the area competition that we can move forward state. I can remember people next me cheering and crying. In fact, this band of ours has not been in this type of event in over 33 years and it is not just significant to me but also to the band and people part of it at that time. What I have learned from this experience that with hard work pays with the time spent on .…
I am interested in joining UNCC's symphonic band. I have mainly played mallet percussion at my high school's Marching Band for two years, and played timpani and auxiliary percussion for the school's spring musical. I was wondering what will I have to do to audition? I have friends that are majoring in music that had to choose a song to learn before being auditioned.…
The Band Perry, a sibling musical trio composed of Kimberly Perry and her brothers Reid and Neil, is an interesting study in contrast. Just with the first two singles, the newcomers offered a lightweight, ebullient number in "Hip to My Heart" and a sad, weighty ballad, "If I Die Young." And most impressively, both songs manage to fit in well on their surprisingly diverse debut album.…
It starts in early July and ends in late June. It involves great precision and discipline. High school marching band can be a full time gig for any music student that chooses to dedicate their life to this activity. High school marching band has three different seasons that a high school music student can participate in, fall, winter, and parade.…
I saw The Santa Fe Big Band 22nd, Annual Evening of Jazz Concert. The band was dressed up all matching. The men were wearing black dress shirts and pants, with dress shoes. The women wearing black formal dresses with red shoes. They all looked very professional and when they started playing it immediately took me back to the 1930s, the big band era.…
I am a leader. I have all the qualities that make a great leader, but I was not born this way.Experiences and how someone reacts to those experiences are what truly make a leader. One of the most influential experiences I have gone through is called the Lebanon High School Marching Band. I am certain that I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for marching band. Before coming to high school I already had leadership qualities, but band helped bring all those great qualities together and helped me get past my two major flaws: my lack of self-confidence and the fact that I was probably one of the shyest people you would EVER meet. When I joined marching band, I spent most of my waking hours sweating and suffering alongside wonderful people that I longed to…
In the classroom, I’m a student; outside, I am a leader. President, diplomat, and American statesman John Quincy Adams spoke out about leadership, saying, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” (John Quincy Adams). These qualities of a leader reside in the role of a drum major.…
In seventh grade I used to be in marching band. I had done band in sixth grade as well, but this year it was marching band. I played the clarinet and I was pretty good at it. In the middle of the school year we had a parade that our band had to march in. It was something that I had never done before, so I was a little bit apprehensive about doing it. People who who were new to marching band like me were referred to as “newbies”, which wasn’t very many people. During marching band practices all of the “newbies” were put in the back because we didn’t really know what we were doing. Over time all the newbies got better, but that didn’t seem to apply to me. I could keep tempo and play my instrument while marching in sync with everyone and I would…
Lia 's parents, Foua and Nao Kao, were part of a large Hmong community in Merced, refugees from the CIA-run "Quiet War" in Laos. The Hmong, traditionally a close-knit and fiercely people, have been less amenable to assimilation than most immigrants, adhering steadfastly to the rituals and beliefs of their ancestors. Lia 's pediatricians, Neil Ernst and his wife, Peggy Philip, cleaved just as strongly to another tradition: that of Western medicine. When Lia Lee Entered the American medical system, diagnosed as an epileptic, her story became a tragic case history of cultural…
When I joined the Bridgewater-Raritan program in August, I did not know what to expect. I knew that band was going to be hard work and a lot different than middle school. Personally, I think I have gotten more out of being a part of the program than I did in middle school, both with my skills and life lessons. I remember one of my first days when Mr. Markiewicz said that we would build an unbreakable relationship with our instrument. I have to admit that when he said that I giggled a little and said “yeah right” to myself. I hate to say it, but Mr. Markiewicz, you were right. I have grown to love practicing; I can feel my fingers responding faster, my air intensity increasing, and my mind becoming more alert whenever I pick up my clarinet. I can look back and see how much I have improved since the last note I played as an eighth grader, and I smile a little bit, knowing that this is only the beginning of my development in music.…
Influence, the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something. There is a good chance that most of us have been influenced by someone or something throughout our lifetime. We all offer the ability to influence, and to be influenced. In 2011 when I joined my school's marching band, I did not realize the influence it would have on my life by teaching me teamwork, self-discipline, time management, and dedication.…
Sweat drizzles down my skin as it exits my pores trying to cool my heated body. The blood rushes through my veins pumping blood with the consistent pounding of my heart. Every breath, every second, every action, every thought; I am standing where everything counts. Artificial turf and grass crumpled beneath my torn black shoes and the thick silence only cut by the timed chants from afar. This is the last moment I will stand here for this reason. This is the last moment I will stand here with my family. This is the last moment of my marching band career. Many will say that this was a special group of kids, others will say that this year was a show that was made to make it. I, on the other hand, will say that this was because of seven years of dedication.…
A time I wish I had spoke up as a leader was a couple of months ago when a past concert band member wanted to be apart of marching band. This individual had not attended band camp, which is a requirement if you want to be in marching band. The individual had family issues which prevented him from attending. Once school started he went to the first football with us and played the show music during class. I thought there would be an exception due to his circumstances of not being able to attend. Later I found out that leadership and our band director would decide whether or not he would be included in our show. His drill spot had been written, now it was just if he was committed and be able to. I thought he deserved a chance, so I wanted to help him. I figured our band director would too. But at the same time, our…
Imagine the day you finally emerge from your cocoon of comfort and commence what the future holds. Imagine that bewildering feeling, clouding over your mind as you realize how the setting is quite different from your reassuring atmosphere. Now, imagine the environment you are now in consists of people who find interest in the same area, but carry out the same task at a different level, in a different way.…
Louis Armstrong, an influential figure in the Jazz world, once said, “If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know.” Over time, jazz has kept its essential elements and original style, even as new styles have developed. Jazz, in its most basic form, is defined as “music that includes qualities such as swing, improvising, group interaction, developing an 'individual voice', and being open to different musical possibilities,” by Travis Jackson, a Professor of American Music. Improvisation, being the key element in every type of jazz, must be present for a piece to be considered jazz music. This element turns jazz musicians into composers and is essential to jazz styles of music. Another thing unique to jazz is its approach to rhythm. The…