A/N: So, I was in a car for about six hours, and I was really bored. So, I wrote this.
The hot sun overhead. The hot pavement underneath. The people to the left and right of you. The sweat dripping down your face. The instrument in your hands. The sound emmenating from that instrument. The amazing feeling from doing well. The humbling feeling you get when you do really bad. The burning desire to do better. That's what marching band is.
Marching band isn't all fun and games. It's blood, sweat, tears, and a whole pantload of hard work. There's fundamentals to learn, drill to set, music to memorize, dots to get to, and technique to perfect. The band nerds mainly focus on telling stories of fun and games, but there's so much more to it. You don't know how much effort is put into the performance unless you've actually been in marching band. When I was younger, I looked forward to marching band so much. All of my older siblings did band, and they always came back with stories of fun and silliness. But I never appreciated how much hard work went into it. They never said. But now I do.
You can't have good times in band without hard work. Well, I guess you could, but they wouldn't be as rewarding. The good times are there so you can relieve stress. Pep band at football games is one of those times. You can mess around and scream as much as you want to, as long as it's not when you're playing. But you're so busy messing around that you have no idea what's going on in the game. So, when all the fans scream, you scream too, just because you want to be supportive of your team, but you have no idea what's happening.
The half-time show is one of those times you need to be serious and not mess around. You need to act as professional as possible. That's the time that counts. That's the time you need to get to your dot. That's the time you need to know what you're doing. That's when you need to apply the technique. That's the time you need to follow the drum major.
Band is the best part of the year. It's when you consider the band your second family, especially your section. I totally consider my section leader my older brother. He has the attitude of an older bro, and I should know. He has the exact qualities needed: thinks he's so much better than everyone else, and he's kinda bossy. Not that I have anything against my section leader. He's awesome. But I think I'm like a little sister to another guy in my section. He called me annoying, and I thought, "Well, I am a little sister…" But all of the band is like family.
The boys are like brothers: they watch out for you, they're really hilarious, but they're serious when they need to be. They willingly help you when you ask them, and they even help you even when you don't. But you listen to them, because you know they're just trying to help you improve your marching, even if it does sound kind of bossy. But, best of all, they laugh with you, and they get your stupid jokes.
The girls in band are like sisters, too. They're sweet and caring, sharing their junk food with you at lunch. She also gave me caffeine but didn't see the results. They made manifest at the football game that night. I got so hyper and went insane after our show. But sisters also share bad times. We help and encourage each other through the tough practices.
Band is there so you can strengthen your relationships with your second family. It's there so you can learn to play your instrument really well while marching. Bnad is there to creep out and scare your drum majors. (I did that to both of them.) Band is there so you can have the good times. (Except when your co-section leader wears skinny jeans…That was a little weird…No one could look at him until he put his uniform on.)
Marching band is when all of your inside jokes are somehow connected to the band room, band people, or just plain band. Like when I'm tired, I flip out. My section descovered that after our first football game.
Anyways, if you like playing instruments, and you want to become ever better at it, marching band is the place for you. You become stronger, physically and in the way of your lungs. Lungually…? I don't know. The point is, marching band strengthens everything you are. It makes you stand taller, it makes you pretty dang strong, and it makes you act professional, which is a very good skill.