How does being in a marching band inspire you in your life? In a co-sponsored essay contest that celebrates the release of the new movie “FAME,” Halftime Magazine and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc., asked this question to marching band students across the country. Here is the winning entry in the MGM & Halftime Magazine “Claim Your FAME” Essay Contest.
Being in a marching band inspires me in many ways. Ever since I can remember, I have always loved the idea of bringing music to life. Many of us seem to take the power of hearing the passion of music for granted; however, I look at this a little differently. In addition, marching band has taught me the true essence of hard work, teamwork and passion and how rewarding it can be.
To See and Feel
At a very young age, I fell in love with music, and I always thought of different ways that I could bring it to life. Once I heard about marching band when I entered high school, I felt instantly that this is where I belong, and I went for it. Yet instead of playing my trumpet, I joined the color guard because it helped fulfill my dreams of bringing music to life and allowed me to help my father understand the music. This is a huge reason that I joined marching band, and I am extraordinarily happy to say that this is just one of the ways that being in a marching band has inspired me in my everyday life.
When I was 7 years old, my father suddenly went deaf. He got a cochlear implant, and he can hear now but not the way that he used to. To this day he says to me and my sister the one thing that he truly misses is being able to hear the music the way that he used to and hear the passion behind it. That is a major way that marching band has helped me through my life—to help my father see the emotion and passion of the music and help bring to him some of my love and passion for music.
Working Hard
Marching band also inspires me because it helps me understand the true essence of hard work. While most people are working on their tans and savoring the last month of summer, we go to school and learn at band camp.
Working long days to learn the music and routines of the show requires dedication and passion. Through those long days, we develop a sense of teamwork and the beginnings of the precision required to perform our show effectively. It is very much like the production of a stage show, learning the music and the choreography and working with the props; it is truly a rewarding, hard experience once we perform in front of an audience.
In conclusion marching band has inspired me in so many ways. I hope to share the inspiration I have come to know with more people in our upcoming season. I hope to change the way some people think about music through the musical and visual performance that is the heart and soul of marching band. Maybe if more people experience the power of this medium of music, then their lives may be a bit more inspired as well.
Note from the Editor
As the Grand Prize winner, Deanna will receive a private pre-release screening of the film “FAME” for herself and members of her marching band, other “FAME” merchandise and a 1-year group subscription to Halftime Magazine for her band. Congratulations!
