Marching Band - Taking on Responsibility by Michael

Marching Band - Taking on Responsibility by Michael - February 2017 Scholarship Essay

During my fourth year of Marching ensemble, it became apparent to me that I would only be a part of our school's band for one more year afterward. I took this as an opportunity to enjoy the freedoms of the activity as much as possible. I was particularly lax, for lack of a better word. This wasn't a good thing especially since we had a new rookie in our section that year who needed instruction from all of us. However, I wanted to have as little stress as possible so I left most of the instruction for my upperclassman to handle.
Long story short, we were slightly unprepared that year for our competitions and our rookie really didn't become as proficient at his instrument as he should have under my supervision. We ended up getting last place at championships, most likely not just because of my own laziness but I absolutely contributed to our downfall.
This past year I realized that it would be my responsibility as a Senior to do everything possible to ensure our success. He may not have enjoyed it, but I made sure my now non-rookie underclassman was up to speed as well as myself when it came time to participate in the competitions. It certainly payed off. I learned my lesson, that if I want to experience any sort of success, that I must put forth my full effort before I make it anywhere.