This time of year always makes me a bit misty eyed. It reminds me of when I started college, and even more importantly when I joined the band. My bestie sent me a video of the yearly merge of freshman and upperclassmen bands and it inspired me to write this. If you don't know, being in a Black college band is like a full time job. Seriously. All night practices, road trips, intense training, etc. It started with band camp in August of 2005 with the full fire heat of the Mississippi sun beaming down on me. General meet and greet with the people who would be the only ones I knew for the next 4-5 months. Then our parents left and the craziness began. Now you must understand being in band in other parts of the country pales in comparison to being in one in the South. I went from being first chair and band president in my high school to last chair before the sun set. Next morning, it got real. I'm dressed in all white standing with my peers before dawn. It was still dark out and the next thing we hear is someone running and then another yells "YOU BETTER NOT LET HER BEAT YOU!!!" So we take off running, and it begins. A month full of military style physical training and intense musical rehearsals weeding out the ones not built for The BOOM. It was a challenge to say the least but I couldn't let them defeat me. My parents had allowed me to go school so far away from them and I had made the decision that I wasn't going down without a fight. It paid off, I made it. I had the ugliest and oldest baritone, but it projected every wrong note that I hit, LOL. I couldn't hide. With the help of my crab brothers and sisters I got better. I had to, getting worse and quitting wasn't an option. This time of my life was one of learning, living, discovery, and growth. I became stronger, both physically and mentally. Being in a section that is 99% male definitely changed me. I have so many memories that I could share with you all about this time but I won't, not now anyway. What I will share is a video that I found on YouTube of my first home halftime show against Texas Southern University. I was approached by the lead Drum Major to be apart of a skit and after a couple hours of consideration and discussion with one of my besties, I agreed. With much trepidation, of course. In the video, I'm the one in the middle dancing while the band plays David Banner's Play . My heart was beating so fast and we practiced that skit numerous times (s/o to my CS Bianca she's on the left). I distinctly remember one of the last practices before we performed, I was on the ground in a split and Mr. Murray was yelling and telling me to "BOUNCE IT! BOUNCE IT!" You can't imagine how strange that was. I can laugh about it now. I was only in The Boom one year, but that year changed me forever. I don't look at challenges the same, I don't listen to music the same and I'm not the same girl that walked into that band room so many years ago. Because of band, Jackson State, Mississippi, John Phillip Sousa, Secret Garden (Quincy Jones' version) and The Temptations' Get Ready will always hold a special place in my heart.
CHAIR!!
(You can watch the whole video, but the skit starts around 7:30)
That's me in the center, I didn't get permission from the other people in this picture. I posted this because you can't see my face in the video. They probably don't read this blog anyway though, lol.
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