A week into winter semester during my sophomore year I realized that I couldn’t handle the load I had originally planned for myself; so, I dropped a class and searched in a panic for a new one just to squeeze one more credit. Little did I know then that the class I chose would end up being one of the best experiences of my college experience.
My selection: Campus Band. I originally was nervous because I hadn’t seriously played my instrument in over a year, but I noticed that many of the other musicians were in the same boat. The atmosphere was so incredibly inviting that my nerves were quickly eased.
I soon remembered what it felt like to run through music for the first time, to be completely lost and out of tune with everyone around me. I remembered what it was like to loudly make a mistake, and to laugh it off with the other people in my section. If you’re a musician you know how ridiculous the first run-through of a song is, but you also know the atmosphere when the band cuts off just right, and you know accomplished you feel when you finally understand the difficult part in a song. You know how it feels to play your favorite piece and find yourself swaying to the music, getting lost in it. The truth is, I had forgotten what all of these things felt like, and I hadn’t realized how much I completely and totally missed being part of a band until I was part of one again.
I’m so glad I had a small crisis one day sophomore year, and I’m glad I picked up a course that made me appreciate what I had been missing out on. More than this, I am so appreciative that I took a year off of playing. I played my trombone from age ten all through high school, and I took my experiences for granted. The year I took off gave me perspective and made me realize I never want to go another year without playing my trombone again. Sometimes we have to learn lessons the harder way, and I’m glad I did.
P.S. if you want to see what Campus Band is all about, we have a concert Sunday, April 9 at 3 pm at Hill Auditorium, and we’d love to see you there.
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