Summary: Improving Overall Performance

I am auditioning for the positions of Sousaphone Section Leader and Drum Major. I have a slight woodwind background though I transitioned to playing tuba three years ago. I have marched for the Brigade for those three years while playing sousaphone. Before high school, I devoted most of my days after school in the fall to assisting the band in any way they needed. From Band-Aid to Assistant Section Leader, I have always done my best to make it to every practice and every competition. Granted, I have missed a couple marching rehearsals for medical or scholastic reasons, but all were excused. I have always been one to encourage others to participate to their best ability while at rehearsal in order to make the most of it. I have never gotten

I practiced. Finally, the end of my junior year season came. As soon as we stepped off the field from state finals awards I started talking about being 2016 field commander. I went home, watched our old shows and conducted them. Somewhere around the end of April, our band director gave my opponent and me the score and a recording of the music for the upcoming show. He told us that he wanted it memorized for the audition. I started practicing immediately. I spent my lunch break and my last 2 classes listening to the recording and reading through the score. One day in class our director tells us that our band will be marching in the Great American Brass Band Festival Parade. What would we do for that? We would play the upcoming seasons music. So, we should be having the auditions for field commander soon. I was excited, though I knew I didn’t have a high chance because my opponent was the “favorite” choice. How did I know she was the favorite? Because as I talked to a friend about the parade, their response was “I’m not sure about performing since (our previous field commander) isn’t sure if my opponent wanted to, I mean, or whoever gets the position..” So I practiced harder and longer than anything I had ever done. Because I wanted the position

My sophomore year I tried out just to go through the process and be prepared, but my junior year I tried out for real. I was trying out as a minority. I was the youngest junior on the line, now the only girl on the line, and I had been on snare the least amount of everyone else on snare. After a week had gone by, we had our band banquet. During the banquet they would announce all of the new section leaders. They took us into the hall and I was told I was the new section leader for the drumline. This role is held very high in the Northgate Marching Band, because if you hold this position, you are a leader of the band. Now that I had the title I needed to accomplish one more thing. In drumline we have a center snare. The center snare is the most advanced player on the line, they count off all the exercises and they are the person you listen to when playing. Our audition process was intense, because again I was the one with the least experience on snare. I absorbed every piece of criticism I received and I applied every fix to better myself as a

About three weeks into marching season, a spot opened up. Of course, I had to audition for the spot with the other alternates, but I was successful in winning a marching spot at that time and have never lost it. I also worked hard on becoming a better musician. I drastically increased my practice time and was fortunate enough to be able to hire a private tutor to improve my musical abilities. Now in my senior year I am in the top band and I am on the varsity marching squad. I have even obtained a leadership role in the band as a rank leader. As a rank leader I am a mentor and coach for several other students in the marching band. I really feel like I am providing these student the same thing that Zack Santos provided for me. It makes me feel good that I am assisting other kids in achieving their

We have been in band since the fifth grade and gained a tremendous amount of music knowledge. In the middle school years we sought out more experience by starting a jazz ensemble. After middle school, We joined all aspects of band and participated in every event possible. Through our three years of marching experience we led the our respective sections. We focused on making sure our rows and lines were straight. Keeping in step was also a very important

The end of junior year in high school I ran for band president against 6 other people; I ended up winning. I was the 2016 band president for Midwest city high school, I was very nervous for this new adventure. It was time for summer band, the first day of summer band was for freshman and band parents, I had to speak in front of 200 people. The next day was full band, it was time to start summer band officially. Practicing in the heat is the worst part of being in marching band, its long and hot and people always get sunburnt. Through the long hot days and playing good music and making new memories is the best part of marching band. My senior year I became a very good musician, I spent more time in the practice room and preceded my speaking

Marching band was one of the most difficult/challenging activity systems that I have ever done in my life. But at the same time it was an inspirational and motivating aspect of my life. The very first thing it taught me was the definition of hard work. This was because I spent hundreds of hours to my dedication and devotion to band marching around the field in the hot sun every day. Even though there were times when I wanted to quit; one such instance was when we were out performed by another school, other times it was becuase of the teacher being a little too hard on me when I first started. Despite setbacks such as these, I had an ardent attraction to marching band, mainly because in middle school I was a part of concert band, which made me love music. The biggest, reason why I chose to do marching band, aside from my enjoyment of music, was because towards the end of my eighth grade year my middle school band director told us about a huge opportunity that we had coming up to become a part of the high school across the street marching band. They were called the Titan Regiment. She told us the difference between concert and

Marching band should be considered a sport because the difficulty is equal to any other sport both mentally and physically. Some students need to carry an instrument up to 30 pounds with perfect posture. Before rehearsal, students also have to warm up, do stretches, and even run. Students have to be able to memorize notes, dots, and stay in step with the entire band. In order to do these things, students have to be super concentrated and must constantly practice. Just like any other sport, the participants have to stay committed, and it’s crucial that they are there for every practice. If a student misses, there is a chance they will lose their spot and be very lost when they return.

Memories began to race through my mind as I started to look back at the time when I first joined the marching band. Coming into high school, I was not reluctant to try out new things, and marching band was an activity that would allow me to open myself up to others and develop a strong sense

Despite this, marching band forced me to practice more and perfect my skills, and I am increasingly better now for it. I even made an alternate for all-county, something I thought only “good players” could do. Turns out, I am

For the most part, I didn’t enjoy the early stages of marching band. The practices were long, and without any friends to interact with, the length of those practices intensified. Marching band became tiresome and boring. I wasn’t having fun, and I considered quitting after

I am Mexican, I must be a slum dweller. I am Muslim, I must be part of ISIS. I am blonde, I must be unintelligent. I am a model, I must be anorexic.

To start off, unlike other sports marching band does not only require physical exertion it requires mental exertion too. Marching band is a very difficult sport to perfect, as it is in need of many multitasking and memorization skills. Band members have to march, play their instrument and memorize music, steps, counts, and drill all at once. Doing so is very hard, and and it takes someone that is disciplined and dedicated to the sport to do it right.

In the United States today, many teenage girls are facing lots of problems. New problems are rising such as an increased pregnancy rate among teenagers. Our teenage girls are less developed and unprepared for the problems which come along with their decision to have sex. It is also too early for teenage girls to become pregnant. Many teens think having a baby is some sort of joke. They believe it will never happen to them but the reality is that every time teens have sex, there is a possibility that the sperm will find its way to the egg if they do not get protection. As a nation, or society, it is in our common interest to protect our teenage girls from getting unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. However, this issue of protecting or

Coleman (2005) describes a transformational leader as one who is a role model, building capacity in others who follow. A leader with high standards of ethical and moral conduct. These ideas have guided my leadership. Working with teachers I provide examples and feedback for others to build on.