All-State Band!

I've decided that All-State band this weekend was one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life regarding music. Being in Mr. Rich's class, I was drawn to the ever-plaguing question, "Why?" (The question is like a cockroach now... it never dies! Moving on...) Many people would ask why anyone in the right mind would spend 3 hours on Thursday, 12 hours on Friday, and another 6 hours on Saturday sitting with their instrument listening to a college professor talk to you and rehearse. So, why would anyone do that and enjoy it?

We all have passions in our lives. Some passions might be skateboarding, football, TV, video games, chess, grammar, or in my case, music. We get energy and a sense of renewal while satisfying our desire to live the dreams that our passions create. A football lover can't stand to miss Superbowl Sunday and gets all riled up in favor of his team or against the other. They are willing to sit through commercial after commercial to see the few seconds of game play before someone tackles someone else, or happens to break through and score. To them it is worth it!

All-State to me was far more than sitting through boring stuff before 'cutting to the chase', or 'getting to the action.' The whole thing was action, for the opportunity to learn from a highly experienced professor never diminished or faded. She was constantly giving deep and intellectual quotes that stirred tender and often untouched emotions, rousing us to do better and to believe in ourselves and in our talents. Not only does she have a Doctorate, but she has been teaching at the University of Texas (Austin) for the past 33 years, and she plays the trumpet. Everyone wanted to hear what she had to say because she knew what she was talking about.

Another reason All-State was an amazing experience for me was because it gave me a chance to shine, yet fit in at the same time. I knew that my best effort was what qualified me for the band, and that by giving my best effort I was doing my part to make the band the best it could be. There were few feelings of regret, disappointment, or lack of self-confidence because everyone was a friend to everyone else. I knew I could be myself, play my trumpet the way I knew how, learn how I wanted, and that it didn't matter. The band gave me comfort knowing that I was around people with similar goals and ideals. Being in an Honors English class (among other classes of the same type), being in a sort of Honors Band made me feel right at home. I was with people of my same mental and musical caliber. One of the directors made a bold move to ask the members to raise their hand if their cumulative GPA was a 3.7 or above, to which all but 2 people of the entire brass section said they had, with the remaining two having a GPA that was exceedingly close to it. I doubt you would find such a majority in any other group in the state of Utah.

When people are placed in environments where they are not leading the pack, but running alongside many leaders is when they are given true moments to excel without anything holding them back. In band at Mountain View, Marching Band at Orem, and even in communities such as at work, church, and many classes I take, I am the 'leader' type person, and often I feel held back. This is either because I'm afraid to move too far ahead of the others because of the extra attention involved, or to move ahead would be extra and unnecessary effort when the 'here and now' was 'good enough'. All-State gave me a chance to push myself to my upper limits, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Both myself and Noelle were complimented by the Professor in front of our band director without any previous conversation leading into it.

It also gave me a chance to feel recognized for extraordinary effort. My parents, grandparents, and many friends were there, making the experience even more memorable and rewarding. It wasn't just the fact that I was in an elite band, it was the fact that people were happy for me and were there to support my efforts as I grew and learned.

The closeness of music and family to my heart is how everything came together in the overall brilliance of the event. To me, music is a form of glorified poetry, and when both are combined in song, previously inexpressable emotions are given utterance. Music touches my heart every time, and it is one of the things I live for. It pulses through my veins, inundates my soul, and radiates from my being. In a way, my Music is my Soul. Therefore, in a way, my soul was refined and made better by one with the knowledge and power to do so. Not only did I learn how music should be played, but I gained a greater knowledge of what music really Is. This is why All-State band meant so much to me, is engrained upon the brazen tablets of my fondest memories, and will never be forgotten.