How band has shaped me

The path of my entire high school career and beyond was shaped by a decision I made on a mid-August day before my eighth-grade year. My close friend, Casey, asked me to come see her perform with the high schools marching band on their last day I band camp. They had gotten a new band director that year and he completely changed everything about their performances. Ever since I decided to come see her perform, my personal changes and growth have been explosive, one could even say it was like dynamite. It was actually the song, dynamite by Taio Cruz that had caused me to make my final decision. In the middle of the song they had a dance break in which the band members fell onto the ground, purposely of course. It was at that moment that I knew that what I really wanted to do was band.

A couple months and $800 later, I was a member of the Vinton County beginners band, which mostly consisted of sixth-grade students. It was there that I learned the basics of playing clarinet before joining my friends who were already in the seventh and eighth grade band. It wasn't long before I was completely caught up with everyone else who had already been playing for three years; next thing I knew, I was playing first part and having so much fun. I practiced every single day and didn't complain about it at all. I hadn't even noticed that I had developed something that some people never even find in life, passion. As I finished eighth grade, I was extremely surprised with myself. Not only had I finished band through the entire year, I was going to continue in high school. I had honestly expected to quit within the first few weeks because that's just the kind of person I was. I was a quitter my every means, but that part of me died right there, and I became a worker.

As high school progressed and I continued to get better at clarinet, I started to realize how much my director himself had done for me. Mr. Harmon had not only taught all of us to be amazing musicians, he taught us respect. The one thing he always used to say that will always stick with me is "leave a place cleaner than you found it." Every time we would go to football games, band shows or pep rallies, you could tell where we sat, because it was always the cleanest section. He told us that being polite in uniform can really impact how people view the band as a whole. We are never that band that goofing around, being rude or showing public display of affection because we've been taught to respect our uniform as well as ourselves. At the end of my sophomore year, Mr. Harmon left us to go to grad school at Ohio University, and our new director, Ms. Titus, has done a fantastic job at keeping us at the same standards, as well as taught us some very important lessons. The biggest thing I've learned from her is that no one is perfect. I don't mean that in a way that she makes mistakes all the time, but ah will be the first to admit that she is wrong, and to be able to do that takes serious courage. She has also taught us that anything is possible if you try. She had been told that she wouldn't make it to where she is now, and here she stands.

In conclusion, band is the single most influential thing in my life. It has taken me far and I have decided that I want to be a high school band director myself to change people the same way Mr. Harmon and Ms. Tutus have changed me.