Page 112 - 2019 Senior Will

we’re onto the next exercise. Or standing in Loudis, going on hour 4 of playing trumpet nonstop, missing partials, pinching the lips just to get a high G above the staff out. Just twenty more minutes and we’ll be off to pencader for dinner. Or losing feeling in my fingers as we march down the streets of Philadelphia with negative-degree wind chills and a cold brass instrument on my lips. Just a few more hours and I’ll be sitting by the fire stuffing turkey and mashed potatoes down my throat. These are the times I wish I knew how lucky I was to be in those situations. Certainly watching my trumpet freeze in front of my very eyes, I didn’t quite feel so lucky. But when I look back and think about the last four years of my life, those painstaking moments turn into wonderful memories, recollecting times when I didn’t have a care in the world – where I could forget about everything and just be myself in this crazy marching band. If only I had known that time was going to be swept away from me and that four years could go by in the blink of an eye. Even as I write this, I can’t quite understand how it’s time for me to say goodbye. I was unaware of it.
The last four years in marching band have been made unforgettable. I have met so many great people, and experienced so many amazing opportunities during my time in the UDMB. Marching band is more than getting the perks of moving into your dorm early and get into football games for free. The best perk of all is family. It’s a group to rely on when you need it. A friend that is always there for you. An upperclassmen that saves you at 2am when you couldn’t walk home by yourself. I have had the honor and privilege of being a part of my biggest family: the trumpet section. Together we have been through the highest highs and the lowest lows. What would my college experience have been without them? I have no way of knowing for sure, but I’m positive it wouldn’t compare to the one I’ve had. I truly am going to miss making music together with these wonderful people. Speaking of these wonderful people, I want to shoutout a few by name.
Shoutouts
My Senior class; Evan, Jill, Matt, Ayanna, and Ethan: We made it guys! It’s now our turn to write these really long, sappy messages to each other! Thank you, seriously, for sticking through four years with me. We’re a small but mighty class and I’m so happy to see how well we all worked together and got along, especially this season. We have been through it all – from “Mad World” to “One” to “Peace of Mind” to “To Boldly Go” we have experienced the end of the Jacob Shapiro curse, a new stadium, Thanksgiving together, playoffs (sort of), hurricane-like wind conditions, and all the rest. But at the end of it all, we remained positive, happy to help our section in any way we could. And for that, I thank you. I love you all and I can’t wait until we all play again in alumni band.
Staff through the years: I was so fortunate to be given the opportunity to help lead the band since my sophomore year. Because of that, I got to teach alongside some spectacular educators. I almost feel like in my three years on staff, I learned more than I taught. Thank you for working beside me to better the organization. The impact you have all made rings clear. Good luck to all the future teachers in this group. You all are going to make such an impact on your students and I look forward to hearing all about it. May our paths cross again one day.
My lil rookie class: I was so excited for you all to get here in August. Watching you come in wide- eyed, excited, yet nervous reminded me of where I started, and motivated me to be the senior that helped my rookie-self get through their first year. I hope I helped. But wow, what a class! You should all be immensely proud of yourselves for all the hard work you have displayed in just one year. I hope you see how much that paid off this year. The music was hard, the band was doing things that we had never done before, and you all just went along with it, and kicked ass. I’m so proud! For those of you who know that they are doing marching band again next year, I look forward to seeing you back out on the field! For those of you still on the fence, I encourage you to