Marching On The Club Book 3

Introduction

Introduction
I walked into the band room very early; there was no one else in the room for Mr.Smith himself just now unlocked the band room and he entered his office. His son; Andrew Smith was in the band room listening to music in his ear buds. "Morning," Mr. Smith greeted me as I passed by his office door. 'Good day to you too Mr. Smith,' I thought of saying but nothing came out. I entered the instrument room and closed the door behind me. I grabbed my baritone case. Well, it's not mine; it's the school's instrument, but by mine I just mean the instrument that I plan on marching this season. I had a blue ribbon with my name on it tied in a bow on the school instrument case that had the school instrument of the baritone which is what I plan on marching this year. I had previously tied a blue ribbon on the instrument case over the summer when we had summer rehearsals for marching band. This blue ribbon was the same ribbon that the drum major; Carly gave me my freshman year marching. I didn't feel good on the baritone, and so I wanted to practice playing it for a bit... So I opened the baritone instrument case, and I took the baritone out of the case. I already had my mouthpiece in the instrument case because again over the summer rehearsals, and this time when I say mine I really do mean mine. That mouthpiece is my personal mouthpiece from the trombone case that I had gotten online a couple of years ago. I practiced alone in the instrument room to work on my chops, lip slurs, and such. I didn't practice scales because the baritone is not my main instrument. And by that I mean the baritone is not the very first instrument I had learned to play. I know a "scale," and by that I mean an exercise that works on both tone development and embouchure and so I worked on that.
I practiced for half an hour before other band members started to show up in the band room. I remained in the instrument room and I continued to practice. I decided to practice a little bit on the music, just try to see if I could play the right note that's all. I wasn't too concerned about the rhythm; not yet anyways. First, I need to gain my confidence before playing the right rhythm of any music. But Mr. Smith has always said that if you can play the right rhythms you can add the right notes in later to master the parts. Well, I'm just trying to gain my confidence level. I tried to play both the right rhythms and the right notes, but it sounded nothing like what was on paper. It wasn't too long before William opened the instrument room door and he entered the room closing the door behind him. I cut my practice shorter than intended; I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of William. William is the new brass captain for this season. He was trying out for drum major? I'm not sure; I didn't go to the leadership meetings and I also didn't go to the drum major auditions last year for this year's band officer's positions. But I remember him talking about it last year, so I guess. I just stopped practicing at the next measure that I had rests. "You sound good," William gave me his input. It felt good that I had at least someone else's opinion other than my own opinion for once not being criticized by myself. However, I didn't really ask for his opinion. I said nothing in return; no 'thank-you' or 'I'm working on it,' I said nothing at all in return.
It seemed like ten minutes later we were all outside stretching in a circle out in the bus parking lot. I stood by myself outside of the circle. Whenever I stand out of an arch or a circle in marching band, it means that I'm feeling sad because of something that's bothering me. I was very sad that day. Tiffany was no longer in the marching band, but that wasn't the only thing that was on my mind that was bothering me. I was sad for more than just one reason. I looked at all the seniors; Erin, Johanna, Isabel, and even David. I hardly looked at William. I just glanced at him without him knowing. And then I glanced at Katherine.
"Hey Jennifer!"
I then quickly looked over at Savannah  for she was with her section the flutes. The flutes by the way were right next to me, or nearby me. "Jennifer, join the circle," Johanna said; noticing that I wasn't in the circle. I hesitated for a second, pretending that I didn't hear my previous section leader from last year. I just gave her the sad and sorry look that I was wearing so well. "Jennifer, join the marching band family in the circle," Johanna said. I hopped on one leg to join the circle even though the word "family," brought me down. I was stretching my left leg out by balancing on my right leg and grabbing onto my left leg using my hand and my left leg was in the air, so that's why I hopped. I kind of had no other choice but to hop. I was just saddened by the word "family," but yet I just couldn't picture a better marching band. Only I could. I can picture a better marching band, but I just mean that I can't imagine a better marching band without the seniors. I couldn't believe that Erin was already a senior. And so was Johanna and Isabel. I don't think I can bear anything without them. Even though, this is their last season, and I don't usually think about next season until the very end of the year. I just couldn't see them apart. I could never see any of them apart. Especially, when they're part of my family. I don't want them to just go away. I want them to do great in college, but I don't want them to just randomly disappear like Carly did. I don't want these amazing people to just go away and never come back. Some of these people I really don't care about just because I don't really know them enough to become emotional about it. But maybe later I will. I felt deeply depressed about just life in general. I felt almost as if I didn't have a purpose. I wasn't suicidal, I just felt dead inside. But I wasn't suicidal because I didn't have those kinds of thoughts. I didn't let myself have those kinds of thoughts. I just felt like I was just there not for a particular reason, but just there. I was just there. I was just the background stage in a theme of a movie. A background stage that was out of place; something that was somewhere where it wasn't supposed to be. I felt like a misfit in the marching band. 'Whatever happened to marching band is family,' I asked myself.