Sometimes things can surprise you! by Hope

Sometimes things can surprise you! by Hope - July 2021 Scholarship Essay

I remember wanting to quit band in the eighth grade just because we did not do much other than play. But then I made the best decision I think I ever have and will, I stayed in band. I soon learned how much different band in the high school was then in the middle school. I joined the marching band and started playing trumpet along with the flute. By continuing band, I made so many friends that I know will last a lifetime as well as memories. I remember one memory specifically; I was in marching band and two boys started having a “moo off”. The two of them were on their hands and knees and mooed until someone laughed. This was one of the funny memories in band when two of my friends were mooing at each other in addition to, everyone egging them on and exciting them. Another memory was when everyone went into the hall during marching band and although we were a band started singing and having a good time. One of the best memories I can think of is at the start of my freshman year, we were learning our sets for marching band, and I could not be there for the first day so, the girl next to me marked my spots for me. What I didn't know then that I do know now is that created a lifelong friendship. Being a family also means there will be sad things that happen too. Something that happened to me, was that I was not acting like myself one day. I just was not talking, and I was being very introverted which is not like me. A friend that I made in band, took me over somewhere nobody else was, to talk. She asked what was wrong and if I needed anything she was there. She kept insisting for me to talk to her because she was worried, and when we were talking, I started crying. When a teacher saw she came over to ask if I needed anything and when I said no, she came back with a candy bar. This shows how much of a family the Horseheads high school band is, and I could not be prouder to be a part of it.

All of these memories would not have been possible if not for band. In band, yes, there is a lot that makes everyone close, but we need that closeness for trust. Gaining trust outside of playing allows everyone to trust each other while playing. Along with this, making true friendships will end in the actual playing of music much more fun. The reason I may have wanted to quit band was because I did not have many friends in band before high school. Now, proceeding into my junior year of high school, I can say that playing with all those friends I made is the most fun thing I have ever done. When playing, I can trust everyone has my back, and if I make a mistake it is not a big deal and we will all laugh about it later. I am a person that when I start playing, I get sucked into the music. I will forget about everything else and just play and enjoy. This never would have happened if I quit in eighth grade. Playing music by yourself is fun, but in a group, it is truly beautiful. The instruments complement each other's sounds while the conductor tells us how to make the sound even better. I was in online school for three-fourths of this school year. So, this meant that I had to log into band by my computer and play alone. This did not make band very exciting, and I was upset I could not play with my friends. That feeling that I get while playing in band could not have been relayed while playing alone. I needed to be there to interact and feel the emotions being conveyed in the music.

Music, band, lifelong friends, amazing teachers, beautiful memories... All of these things are connected, and this is why I am so happy I did not quit band. This scholarship will probably be my favorite one I will fill out, and this is because I have so much, I could say about the decision to stay in band. This may be the lifelong friends, amazing memories made, the family I have joined, or just the feeling I get when playing instruments in an ensemble. I just have one last thought I would like to convey, music is the most important thing in the world, it helps people show feelings if they are not sure how, it helps people understand things that they would have not known before listening, even music helps people connect. People can connect through band, yes, but I am also talking about how people can connect just if they share the same favorite genre as someone else.