Marching Band

When I was in high school, marching band was both the best thing I did and the worst. I have quite a few good memories and just as many bad ones. I was on color guard. I spun the flags. Band camp was torture but performances were amazing. Of the four years I marched, I never had a complaint about the music. My freshman year we did Fantasmic, a collection of Disney songs including "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", "Part of Your World/Beauty and the Beast", and "Night on Bald Mountain" (I will say that because of this and the number of times we had to run the stupid broom part I now thoroughly hate those brooms). My sophomore year, we did James Bond, which included "Dr. No theme", "The Incredibles theme", "Theme from Bourne Supremacy", and "Live and Let Die". My junior year we did Back to the Future, with "Back to the Future theme", "Daft Punk medley", "Beat It", "Johnny Be Good", and "Daft Punk medley part 2". My senior year we did Things that go, with "Bicycle Race", "Drive My Car", "Take the A Train", and "Flight" ("Flight" was an original arrangement from the middle school band instructor). After my freshman year, I always thought I would quit. For one reason or another. But then I would see what songs we were doing and I was drawn back in. I mean come on. How many kids can say they've done a setlist of songs that they like? Not many.

We would always rewatch our own videos from halftime but we would also watch other schools; usually colleges. That's when my friends and I found Ohio State. The first show we saw was their Michael Jackson one. We were all mesmerized as they actually created Michael Jackson and moonwalked him across the field IN PERFECT TIME. Ever since, I've been on the lookout for other cool halftime shows from them. The show attached is their tribute to The Beatles.

I do miss marching band. I miss some of the friends I made while I was in it. I miss being able to do a bunch of push ups at the beginning of the year then not being able to at the end because of the loss of muscle from having to carry the flag for so long at attention or up. I miss when someone would yell "Band ten hut" and all the band kids would snap to attention no matter where they were or what they were doing (there were three kids on both color guard and academic team and, for a joke which turned into a way to intimidate our opponents, one of us would say that and we would snap to attention in our seats, buzzers at the ready). I don't miss the drama, both from the band and the color guard. I don't miss the band director who needed everything to be perfect and would take it out on us if it wasn't. I don't miss the late night practices or the right after school call times. I don't miss the late night games. I don't miss having to wait until 10 pm to do my homework. I don't miss the heavy flag we had to carry around at attention for hours on end.

Marching band was an experience. There were good times and there were bad. But thanks for the memories. I said it in my senior speech to the marching band and I'll say it again "it's something unpredictable but in the end it's right. I hope you had the time of your life." I don't think that's what Billie Joe Armstrong had in mind when he wrote it, but it really does fit. No matter how cliche it sounds.

 
This is my last competition ever in marching band. At the start I am at the 30 yard line on the left as you look at your screen. Have fun trying to keep an eye on me :) . We placed third that year. The only time we have EVER placed. I'm proud of this and I'm glad I found the video.