Music has always been more than sound to me. It has been a guide; a mirror reflecting who I am and who I hope to become. It serves as an escape from the stress and responsibilities of life. I started playing in the beginning band during sixth grade.
I had always been interested in learning how to play an instrument, as my dad had previously played trombone and my uncle had been drumline captain at the University of Central Florida (UCF). I remember how it felt walking into the classroom and seeing all the instruments gleaming under the fluorescent lights, each with its own journey and story to tell. At that moment, I knew that I wanted to be part of that world of sound.
With all the shiny brass instruments and wooden reed instruments, I was torn on which to choose. After careful thought, I decided to follow in my dad’s footsteps and pursue the trombone.
I practiced and refined my skills throughout middle school so that when I got to high school, I wouldn’t be so behind my senior teammates. Eventually, it was time to start high school, and the band director asked me a question that would change my life: “Will you join the marching band?”
Marching band, although very physically taxing, had always been something I was interested in. Of course, I accepted and joined in the summer, going into my freshman year. As the season went on, I felt myself getting stronger, both physically and as a musician. With constant dedication and a strong work ethic, I improved exponentially over just a few short months, and I grew to have a special attachment to the marching arts.
After the marching band season ended, the directors started talking about the winter marching season groups, Indoor Percussion, and winterguard. With another chance to not only march but also learn the instrument my uncle played, I decided to try out.
I wanted to march the bass drum and tried my best to learn before the auditions. Despite putting in long hours of practice, I couldn’t keep up with my peers who had been on the drumline for months.
With it being very evident I couldn’t keep up with the marching drums, I was offered a spot in the front ensemble instead. The front ensemble had always seemed fun to me; however, I was hesitant about joining it because I wanted to move and perform on the band equivalent of a stage: the tarp.
Regardless, I chose to commit to the season, determined to make the most of it. Although it wasn’t what I had wanted to do in the group, I still found joy in performing with my friends.
Going into my sophomore year, marching season on trombone, I became an even stronger player and member of the ensemble. The season came and went in an instant, and before I knew it, we were getting ready for percussion season again.
As I was practicing for my drumline audition, I overheard one of my senior teammates playing something on his trumpet that sounded unfamiliar. I naturally went over to ask what he was practicing, as it was the most complicated series of exercises I had ever heard anyone in our band play. As we spoke, he said he was auditioning to become a member of the World Class Champion ensemble: STRYKE Wynds.
STRYKE Wynds is an Independent World-Class organization that performs with wind instruments during the wintertime. After that conversation, I researched this amazing group, shocked to discover a whole new side of the marching arts.
Although it was the most mesmerizing group I had ever seen, I told myself there was no way I could ever be in the group, not only because I doubted my musicianship, but because they didn’t allow trombones. Seeing that they only marched baritones, which I didn’t play, I was heartbroken, and I gave up on my dream of marching there.
As I got more caught up with school work and percussion auditions, I slowly forgot about the group and had moved on. At percussion auditions, I was doing way better than the previous year and was hopping around to all the drums to find what would be the best fit for me. By the end of the day, the staff had decided the best fit for me would be the quad drums. The quad drums were something I had never considered marching.
As the winter season went on, we ended up going to more competitions, and by coincidence, we were able to watch STRYKE Wynds perform in person. Seeing their stunning visuals and hearing their brilliantly written music, my spark reignited, and I made a decision that day: I was going to learn baritone and become a member of STRYKE Wynds.
