For a lot of people, when they think about a “band kid”, they think of an obnoxious middle schooler in neon green shorts and a terrible sense of humor. This is enough for others to shy away from ever playing an instrument. Unbiased, fourth grade me, had no idea of this and decided to play the flute. Not only was the head count in the band room barely past ten, but I was the only flute player of the group. Either way, I practiced nearly every day with my rented flute and memorized all the main finger placements. I realised that I had improved a lot since the first time I picked up a flute. This was one of the best decisions I had ever made.
Soon enough, I was in the middle school band. I realized the “band kid” trope might be a little true. But, I also came to realize that woodwinds are the nicest people ever. Me and the two other flutes instantly became friends. Soon enough, we were constantly talking while practicing and making jokes about the band teacher. The three of us actually stayed friends all of middle school. Something else that I found great was how rewarding it was to play the exciting songs on stage.
After months of practice, being able to dress up in cute, sparkling outfits with the glowing atmosphere of a concert night was unforgettable. At times, however, playing an instrument got frustrating. There were certain measures that always threw me off, but when I remembered my “flute friends” community, I was able to play the measures with ease. Band actually has intellectual benefits as well. This will happen because when someone plays an instrument, their brain makes neural pathways. This causes you to make faster connections, be better at problem solving, and have better fine motor skills.
If someone was interested in playing an instrument, I would definitely recommend band. It’s a one of a kind thing and it would be hard to find something that would give anyone the same feeling. There’s nothing that could go wrong if anyone tried out the band. Maybe if you tried it, you would come to realise what you thought was a mix of “weird” people, is really a tight knit community of hard working musicians with a passion for music and a connection to each other.
