Finding Myself Through Band by Madeline

Finding Myself Through Band by Madeline - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

Since the sixth grade, I have been in any band program available at my school but it wasn’t until high school that I felt a true impact on my personality from the program. My sixth and seventh grade years I just went with the flow of things, following the lead of others because what is a leader without followers? In eighth grade I was first chair flute player in the top ensemble with a bunch of seventh graders looking to me for advice on how to be better. Not only did I have to improve myself for me, I had to do it because sixth, seventh, and other eighth grade flute players were looking up to me. I knew I had to better myself for the sake of these other players abilities because, just like me, they learned by watching and listening to others.

My freshmen year, I was second chair in the second band at the high school. I outplayed sophomores, juniors and seniors in that band, but was not yet ready for top band music. I learned what I could from the first chair flautist that year and continued to better myself for the sake of others because I knew that the year following that those same seventh graders that had looked up to me before would be looking up to me again as intimidated freshmen.

After spring try-outs for band placement, I was informed that I had achieved being second chair in the top band and was allowed to play piccolo during marching season for my sophomore year. This was the year I began developing relationships with the other players in my section. I continued to learn from them as they had been in top band for longer than I had. That was the first year I had not done well at region try-outs as well as the first year I had not made a Division One at Solo and Ensemble Contest. From that moment I practiced to improve myself because it crushed me that I settled for mediocrity.

This is my junior year of high school. I am a member of the Band Council (the group of students in band that made important decisions for the improvement of the band as a whole, and that organizes any band functions), a Band Officer, Librarian, to be specific (I organize all music, categorize it, make copies for students who lose their, and hand out new music that needs to be learned), and I am a flute section leader. This year has had a huge impact on my life(and the year is barely halfway over!) as I have continued to grow relationships and my networking skills, gain leadership skills, and have learned to speak up – how to get my voice “out there”, to get my point across, to be determined and set on specific goals for my section and myself in terms of music and reputation. Beforehand, I was just a reserved girl with not much to say and now I have learned to let people know how I feel and give my opinion on how things should proceed.

As spring semester is in a couple of weeks, summer is around the corner, and senior year in practically screaming out my name, I have high hopes to improve myself in every possible way, and all of this self-determination happened because I was in the band program at school.