By John Gardner
8th-grade students going into a large high school should consider the advantages of being in (staying in) marching band vs entering as a General Population Freshman. If you’re already signed up, yay for YOU. If you were in 8th grade band, but have not signed up for high school marching band…..read on — and know that it is not too late to change your mind. And if you have never been in band….the good news is that you CAN be. Join the Color Guard — or ask for a spot in the front ensemble. We can teach you auxiliary percussion parts. Play piano. You’re hired!
The local high school has a population near 1500 with about 40 outside doors and multiple main north/south and east/west hallways. Lockers are somewhat segregated by class….so most freshmen lockers are far away from seniors’. It is a safe school with only rare hallway confrontations. Great students, BUT…. a freshman walking down the “senior” hallway might hear some comments.
What’s that freshman doing in our hallway? Did you see him trying to talk to a senior?
For the most part, seniors ignore freshmen and freshmen steer clear of seniors….
except for BAND freshmen!
Marching band starts just days after graduation with rehearsals in June and a two-week band camp before school starts, so, by the time general population students arrive, band freshmen have 100 friends, including seniors.
Unlike their hallway counterparts who sometimes badger and belittle, band seniors mentor, teach, encourage and assist “newbies”, understanding that success depends on everybody “getting it” and, although they sometimes have to adjust their authority boundaries…. they operate a healthy encouraging environment.
Freshmen, who just left their middle schools as the top-of-the-heap big people, can sometimes find themselves in awkward seniority-based interactions while adjusting to life back on the bottom. To band seniors, however, the freshmen are like a little brother or sister. The band senior can pick on them, but no one else.
Interactions you won’t see often in the general population: Seniors…
- … offering 1-1 attention to help a freshman learn music or practice marching fundamentals
- … providing transportation to/from school or rehearsals
- … tutoring
- … counseling and offering advice on “life”
Reasons to stay in band freshman year
… so that as you walk down the hallway with your band friends, you can hear……
“YOU know SENIORS?”
… when you need help with Algebra, you can ask seniors for help – and get it
… when an upper-class jerk is giving you a hard time in the hallway, you can warn…
“Better back off. I’m in the band!”
Don’t threaten – just talk about your “friends”.
… get rides while your other freshmen friends have to ride the bus.
… dates and dating opportunities… and football games plus marching competitions (including bus rides) make for great, cheap dates.
… marching band helps you work on (although sometimes it messes up) your tan lines
… one of the best ways to get out of some home chores
… some places count marching band as a PE credit — and even if your school does not, you’ll burn some great calories and get in better, healthier shape
… you’ll get better on your instrument because you will play it so much more
… because it is a class you can be in for 4-5 years, it is a great place to make life-long friends
… you’ll improve your time management skills, which will help you with your academic homework
… colleges like to see involvement in groups like band because they know what band will do for you and how it will make you a more valuable addition to their community — worthy of scholarship considerations
… some bands require 4-yr participation for consideration for the John Philip Sousa Award
… your audition for section leader, band officer and drum major begins the first day of freshman year
What else?
