Why do I like marching band? The first answer that springs to mind is "because of the people." But my true answer cannot be stated without first explaining why I like music.
Music is more than just notes on a page. It has been described as "the food of love", as "magic", as "the refresher of weary hearts". It is the universal language, it expresses the inexpressible. The unique bond between performer and audience is considered by many to be the fuel that ignites the burning passion that many musicians feel for their art. But perhaps even a more special bond is the bond between performer and performer. This bond is what drives me to participate in marching band.
People who are in a good band share much more than a love for music. A good band has a sort of inner sense. They know instinctively when to cut off. Their dynamics are in sync, and they unconsciously adjust their pitch to match one another. The true band breathes and moves as one, the many parts weaving through each other and supporting each other as though they were some sort of intrinsic blanket.
Still even more sacred is the bond that forms within a section. The members share something more than a common instrument. As with many groups, the unique blend of personalities and interests forms a whole that, with a single part missing, would simply not be the same.
Members of a section support and help each other with things both on and off the pages. The section would be found wanting were it to exist without the leader, the protester, the misfit, the flirt, the joker, or the peacemaker. Each voice adds a unique flavor to the whole, and within a smaller section it is more possible for one's voice to ring out but still exist as a vital part of the entire band.
Charlotte paused, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. Her English essay wasn't a lie, was it? Sacred bonds and instinct and all that. The sax section was like that.
Well, sort of.