Not Missing A Beat!

    

I was in the 6^th grade when I walked into a Florida public school for the first time. I was 12 years old and was not sure what to expect when my parents first announced that we would be leaving our quiet little town of Newland, North Carolina for the sunshine state, Florida. There were many things I had prepared myself for before walking through those doors that day, like jokes being made about my thick southern accent. The one thing I didn’t prepare for was the sound of an 8^th grade girl playing her flute beautifully as I sat down to my lunch. She was with other band students to recruit new members for the band, and that was all it took for me to become obsessed. The next few weeks were filled with pleas to my parents for a new flute, the next few months with painfully wrong notes, and the next few years with irreplaceable friendships and memories. I didn’t quit and by 8^th grade I was sounding like the girl who inspired me to begin playing. It was now time for recruiting to begin for High School marching band and as I got to hear many performances from different schools, one stood out. The Gulf Coast High School “sharks” marching band were big, friendly, and loud. I joined them my freshman year and continued with them until my graduation from High School. I enjoyed playing in the band so much and continued to improve as a player each week, finally deciding to become an officer my junior year. As an officer I had a responsibility to resolve any problems that my section had. I will never forget having to once calm two fellow officers fighting over authority but I still wouldn’t have changed a thing!

Me with the Gulf Coast High School "Sharks" Marching Band