This One Time At Band Camp

You Make My Heart Do Drop Spins

I opened the door to Nate and Alex the tuba players wrestling over a 3D printed mouthpiece. " You know what Alex? You're a butt head." Nate groaned from a headlock.  Alex inhales as if he were hurt, and let's go of Nate. As soon as they  had stopped, they were back at each other throats. I turn to the other side of the band room and see Amber and Haley talking quietly. My best friend Haley was waiting nervously for me to arrive. I walked over to Haley and and hugged her tight. I don't see her very much anymore because of travel softball and it was good to be reunited. "You ready?" She asked nervously. I smiled and shook my head and walked to the storage room across the hall.
Among the percussionists one of them caught my eye. A senior actually, his name is Ryan, center snare. Now I know everyone says that percussionists are the worse to date but hey? First day of band camp and the season was only just beginning. I set my sax on top of Anna's Bari case. I wasn't used to such a small instrument but I was adjusting. I couldn't help but staring at him, he had dark hair that was shaved on one side and long on the top and the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen. They weren't quite brown but they weren't quite green either. He finally noticed I was staring at him and I gave him a nervous smile. But when we made eye contact, he smiled too. He introduced himself, and I did the same, but then I heard a voice calling everyone to the band room.

I walk in and noticed a different face calling order to the loud and obnoxious bunch of teenagers that would later become as close family. He introduced himself as Steve Spang. Of course I had already known him from concert band, Mr. Scheller, our old director had left before outdoor season started. He had gotten a job at Carnegie Mellon as a music instructor there. I sat down in the chairs next to the other girls holding saxophones. I figured they were in my section cause, ya know, they were holding saxes? The one girl I already knew, Jenna, she and I were friends the year before. Spang, standing in the front of the unbelievably cramped and very very hot band room was trying to get everyone's attention before we started. He welcomed all of us who were first years and thanked all of the seniors at the beginning of their last. He explained to us that we were now a team and everyone is valuable to this team. "Marching band is a great experience and it will help you make a lot of friends, cause I'm cool and I have lots of friends." He said jokingly. The doors on the side right side of the band room opened and in came Anna and Melanie, the guard and majorette coaches. They stepped aside and the already sweaty and exhausted girls walk in the band room and collapse on the floor. Anna had made them run around the track before practice, so glad I wasn't them. Although I never understood what color guard really was, I gave them credit. Spinning those wooden rifle things and the swords must be hard. Spang introduced the two guys standing behind him, one was Zack, the percussion instructor, and the other was Aaron, the wind instructor. Mr. Spang himself played the trombone and he was in charge of the brass section. We then were instructed to be on the football field in 5 minutes for basics. I had no idea what I was doing, 8 to 5 step size? 6 to 5? Whatttttttt. Then we started backwards and sideways marching. Moral of the story is, I'm not coordinated at all.
We were finally done with basics and it was time for music. Our show was, Taking Flight, a medly of Star Wars and Jurassic Park. Couldn't get any nerdier right? It didn't look too hard but I had to memorize it. That was something I had never done before.