Marching band adds so much color to my life. It gives me something to look forward to, something to be dedicated to, something to challenge myself. It's a never ending journey to push yourself to always do something better than last time. An emotional roller coaster that's full of highs and lows and everything in between.
It's a long battle to get from June to November, and some may not make it. It can be physically and emotionally exhausting, and not to mention time consuming.
I feel sorry for the people who don't make it through their first season. Because they don't get to experience just how rewarding it can be.
They don't get to discover how exciting it can be, and how much you can learn from it. Not just about marching and playing, but about endurance. Efficiency. Showmanship. Perfection. Teamwork.
And it teaches you who your real friends are. The ones you can count on, and the ones you can trust. The ones that help you see it through and help you along the way. They are family. And though families may sometimes fight, they will always be there.
Together, they make it through the long, hot summer days and the cold autumn nights. Without each other, they could never survive. They depend on each other to get past the parts that may seem never ending.
And while band camp is exhausting, competitions are exhilarating. And the thrills of performing are what make it worth all the suffering. The bright lights of the stadium and the crowd cheering you on give you an adrenaline rush that makes you want to scream. You can feel the music in your soul, and you get emotionally excited over something that you worked hard on in a way that makes your spirit want to fly.
All that work, all the stress, all the anticipation leads up to this moment, and you're never quite sure if you're ready. You feel the pressure to not let the rest of the band down and to make all that time and energy mean something.
And you just can't help but love it.
That's what makes people want to come back their second year. That's what made me come back. Knowing the thrill of performing and the joy in successfully getting through. And knowing that it just keeps getting better.
And so when people see me exhausted from all those hours and ask me why I keep doing it, I say, "Because it's my life."
So let's all join together, hold our heads high, and set up the top of the show.
Read on, write on, dream on. -bandgeek63
