Bright gold baritones and tubas come into my sight as soon as I walk in. The silence around me is peaceful. I am the first one to come to class. Ms. Taylor walks out of her office, to greet all of us that have run in at the last moment. We all grab our cold, lonely instruments and get ready. She sets the metronome to 108. With the moderate beat already stuck in my head, I quickly march up the stairs to close the door. As I do so, the bell rings. Band has begun.

I return to my bright orange snare drum, and grab my sticks out of back pocket. Around me everyone is warming up their instruments. A variety of sounds fill my ears and heart with joy. The mixed up notes of the brass section, seem to fit perfectly with the high sweetness of the woodwinds.

Ms. Taylor turns the metronome to a slower beat of 80 and tells us about a new piece we will be playing for the spring concert. While she passes the rest of the music out, I look at my copy. Finally, a challenge. My body fills with excitement as I try to sight read this music that’s practically black with notes. The sweat on my hands starts to bead to the surface as we start to play. At first it’s horrible, all the notes and rhythms clashing with each other, but after a couple of minutes it begins to come together.

Finally, we go through one of the hardest sections perfectly. I jump up and down, so full of accomplishment; people in my section start to laugh at me. Their laughter swirls in my head as I think about my love for this class. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Music is very special to me. So special that it’s become a daily obsession. Coming to this class everyday gets me one step closer to my goal. I’m starting to taste it. One day, my name will be on the list of top musicians.
I look up at the dozens of gold trophies sitting on the top shelf; they stand for the excellence and leadership of this band. My obsession guides me towards my goal; to play music forever. This is what I want to do, and the trophies help remind myself that I will make it to the top.