"Okay, everybody get in uniform and get into a vehicle! Let's go!" my band director said. Everyone who had agreed to play at the gig we were going to followed her instructions, and loaded ourselves (in full marching uniform), our instruments, the pep band books, and the percussion equipment into a few cars driven by band parents.
"I'm not putting my hat on until we get there," I said to my friend as we set off, driving towards the outskirts of town.
We arrived at a house by the lake, with some sort of party going on in the backyard. It was the wedding reception of a former band member, whose fiance had asked the current band to come and play at their wedding. Trying to be as stealthy as possible, we put our hats on, unloaded the percussion stuff, and tiptoed around to the side of the house, where we stood in two lines. Although it wasn't really that hot, the sun beating down on our polyester uniforms was less than pleasant. It felt like we were standing there forever.
Finally, the band director came back and whispered, "It's showtime!" The drum majors (I wasn't one of them then) cued a roll-off, and we marched right into the reception to the school song. The priceless looks on the faces of everyone there were totally worth the wait, and as we played through "Brown Eyed Girl," "Louie, Louie," and "Hey, Baby," I thought, This is awesome. We marched out again to the school song, with our heads held high.
One of my friends who lived in that area and wasn't at the gig told me later that he could hear us playing (and singing during "Hey, Baby") all the way from his house. All I can say is, it was so cool to once again share our music with people who love it as much as we do, and just seeing the smiles on their faces was a wonderful thing. And I guess that's why I love music, because it gives me the opportunity to share the joy I've found in life with others.
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