So, after much consideration, I have chosen not one, but three memories.
No. 1: The Large Group Concert (3/7/16)
This wasn't the first time I had shared a wonderful performance with my band, nor was it the first time that I had felt like I was part of something bigger as a result of said performance, but I chose it because it involved the bands from my school rather than a band made up of students from many schools (I'll explain in No. 3). Anyway, the Symphonic Band (the band I was in last year) played "Toccata" by Girolamo Frescobaldi, "His Honor" by Henry Fillmore, "Foundry" by John Mackey, and "Victory" by Noah Taylor. "Toccata" is an incredibly difficult piece, but it's so dramatic and beautiful in its own way that I loved it. "His Honor" was bright, happy, and fun, and "Foundry" is super cool and features a flute solo, but it was "Victory" that was my favorite. It's one of those pieces that tells a story through music, beginning with a gorgeous chorale and building up to an epic climax before closing with a quiet chord. Through playing all of those pieces, I experienced the wonderful feeling that making music with others brings, and it was glorious.
No. 2: My 16th Birthday (5/25/16)
That whole day was awesome. I hung out with my boyfriend before school, and then I had band, and my band director let me conduct "Song For Lyndsay" because we were practicing it for graduation. Even though I was noticeably shaking from nerves, it was still one of the best things in the entire world to conduct one of my favorite pieces with a real band playing instead of an imaginary one.
I got to try on my drum major uniform during resource period, and then the other drum majors and I had a leadership team meeting with the band director and a conducting practice session, both of which were totally fun. And then, after school, it was pouring down rain, so one of my friends had to give me a ride home in his truck, with my bike in the back. A tree had been cut down and was laying in the middle of my street, so he had to drop me off in an alley and I had to walk the rest of the way. I almost fell in the mud while crossing my street, and by the time I got home, I was soaked, but still, it was totally one of the best days ever.
No. 3: Concert Band Camp (7/10/16-7/15/16)
Band camp week was the best week of my entire life. About 90 some students from schools in the area came together and did music stuff for a whole week. Here's what my schedule was:
6:15- Get up, get dressed, etc.
7:00- Breakfast.
8:00- Flute Masterclass.
9:00- Theory 12 (the top theory class).
10:00- Full band rehearsal.
12:00- Lunch.
1:00- Small ensembles (I was in two flute choirs).
2:00- Electives (mine was Conducting).
2:45- Full band rehearsal.
3:45- Free time.
5:00- Dinner.
7:00- Concert or Game (Sunday was a mini faculty recital, Monday's concert featured a military band, Tuesday we played capture-the-flag, Wednesday was the official faculty recital, Thursday we performed our small ensembles, and Friday we performed the music we had been rehearsing as a band.)
In addition to living, breathing, and thinking music all week, I also met some really cool people and made lots of new friends. We would go and get ice cream during free time, we practiced together, and I had people to sit by at meals. We actually fit 11 people at one table one time (the tables are only like 5 feet in diameter, so that's kind of an accomplishment). All in all, I made tons of memories at that camp, both musically and socially. I can't wait to go back next year!
So that's that. Three of my most cherished memories, picked from a pool of many, many more. And there will be thousands more to be made in the future, I'm sure.
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