I joined the band in sixth grade. I was 12 years old, searching for a place to belong, a place where I could be a part of something bigger than myself, where everyone shared a common love for something. I remember being tested on a handful of instruments before eventually landing on the clarinet, not realizing then how it would become such a huge part of my life and identity.
Over the years, I got used to the nicknames like “Squidward,” “Band nerd,” and “Loser.” They were meant to be jokes, sometimes even insults, but they never really bothered me. Band wasn’t just an activity I signed up for; it was a sanctuary. It was the one place where I felt safe to be exactly who I was and where I slowly started to grow into someone I was proud of.
I may not play the clarinet anymore, and I may not spend my days and nights at rehearsal or under stadium and stage lights, but those seven years are still with me. The days full of music, growth, and community never really left.
- discipline and responsibility
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Time commitment is no joke when it comes to a band. There were the after-school marching rehearsals that seemed to last forever, the early mornings when the world was still dark as we gathered for performances, and the long game days that didn’t end until almost midnight. At the time, I’d dread the exhaustion and the long days. I had constant sore feet, a lack of sleep, and was tired of the endless repetition. But now, when I look back, I feel nothing but warmth for those moments, not because they were easy but because they taught me things I didn’t even realize I was learning.
Band trained me in discipline in a way that no classroom or job ever could. There was no skipping out, and there were especially no excuses. You were to show up on time, in uniform, and ready to perform because the success of the group depended on every single person. That level of accountability hit differently. If I didn’t learn my music or drill, I wasn’t just letting myself down — I was letting down my section, director, and everyone else who came prepared.
This discipline became especially important when I became the clarinet section leader in my junior year. I had 30+ clarinets under my responsibility, and before I could discipline them, I had to discipline myself. It was tough love, and it built a kind of personal responsibility that still sticks with me to this day. I’ll cherish my time as a section leader forever, and I still remember the face of every clarinet player I taught during those two years.
One of the biggest lessons I walked away with was time management. With hours of practice a week, I had to learn how to balance my college and high school work, job, and other commitments, and still find time to breathe. I wasn’t always the best at it, but I figured it out eventually. I got better, but it never got any easier. I learned how to prioritize and make things happen even when I was tired or overwhelmed.
Band didn’t just teach me how to play an instrument, it taught me how to show up even when I didn’t want to. I became someone that people could depend on. And I’ll carry those lessons with me long after the echoes of our final performance fade.
- Lifelong friendships and found family
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Nothing bonds people together more than sweating through summer band camp or running around stressed out before a performance. Band isn’t just an extracurricular; it’s a lifestyle, and with that lifestyle comes a family you never saw coming. It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it, but when you spend multiple days a week and your weekends with the same group of people, a bond forms. What starts as a shared interest in music becomes shared victories, nerves, and heartbreaks. It becomes real.
Some of the closest friendships I’ve ever made came from my time in the high school band. Whether enduring the blazing Florida sun during rehearsal or frantically changing uniforms behind a bus before a performance, we were in it together. There’s something oddly comforting about knowing that everyone around you is just as exhausted, stressed, and sleep-deprived as you are. And despite it all, we are all showing up and giving everything we have for the team.
The band gave me a place to belong when high school often felt overwhelming. It gave me a family of people who understood me and knew how to lift me on my hardest days and celebrate with me on my best ones. We didn’t just play music; we grew up together, and that connection lasts far beyond graduation.
Original photo by Caitlyn Vasey - The unexpected perks
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One of my favorite fun facts to tell people is that I performed at Carnegie Hall during my junior year of high school. It still feels surreal to say out loud, like it couldn’t possibly have been an opportunity I was given. But it happened, and it remains one of my most treasured memories. I had always dreamed of going to New York, but I never imagined that I would get there because of a band. And yet, there I was, performing on one of the most iconic stages in the world, doing what I loved most with the people who meant the most to me.
And it wasn’t just the big trips; even the smaller ones left an impact. Traveling to nearby high schools for halftime performances, getting the chance to meet other students who shared the same passion from all over the state, and experiencing the nerves and adrenaline that came with every performance all added up to create the most magical seven years of my life. Every note, performance, and challenge helped shape me into who I am today.
The band gave me stories I’ll tell for the rest of my life. It opened doors, built memories, and gave me confidence in who I was becoming, not just as a musician but as a person.
Original photo by Caitlyn Vasey - How it still follows me today
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Even though my time in band ended two years ago, its impact on me never left. The lessons I learned have followed me into nearly every aspect of my life, personally and professionally. Time management, public speaking, leadership, and teamwork aren’t just words I throw on a resume; they’re skills I practiced and strengthened every day as a band kid. Now, as a resident assistant and college student, those same skills have become second nature. I know how to manage my responsibilities, communicate clearly, and lead a team, all because I’ve done it before on the field, in the band room, and through countless performances.
But it’s not just about the life skills — it’s also the way the memories sneak up on me. I’ll hear a familiar piece of music, one I spent months perfecting, and suddenly, I’m shoved right back into high school, marching across the field or sitting on the stage. It’s in those quiet and unexpected moments that I remember how deeply that experience truly shaped me.
Sometimes, I’ll watch the UCF Marching Knights perform at halftime, and there’s a part of me that aches to be out there again. I don’t just miss performing, I miss the feeling that came with it. The adrenaline and pride I felt, not just for myself, but for all of us.
Band, for me, is a legacy. It’s not just something I did in my free time; it’s something that continues to live inside me. It’s in the way I lead, in the way I communicate, and in the way that I show up for others. It’s a part of my foundation forever, and I’ll carry it with me always.
Original photo by Caitlyn Vasey
It’s been two years since I graduated from high school. Two years since I took my final bow in my high school auditorium with the band that shaped so much of who I am. At the time, I knew it was the end of something special — I just didn’t realize how special it really was and how much of it I was carrying into this next chapter of my life.
While I may no longer wear a uniform or step onto a field or stage with an instrument in hand, music continues to play in the background of my life — a quiet reminder of the seven years that helped me find my rhythm.