Throughout my life, and practically everyone’s life, we will experience moments that seem to pop out of nowhere. Some may not be enjoyable, and others may be completely life changing. Marching band was something that I never really considered doing, and until I started doing it, I never even knew my school had a marching band. That is, until my band teacher mentioned it to me. He said I had what it takes and that he could use someone like me to join the snare line. It was up to me to decide if I had the confidence to do it. After hearing this, I thought it over and soon joined. Little did I know, making this decision would be one that would completely change my confidence for the better.

During the season, we would travel to different cities and compete in competitions. All of these small competitions led up to the mega championship competition that takes place at The Dome in Syracuse. I never knew that joining marching band would allow me to play at The Dome. That’s kind of a big deal. Everything throughout the season leads up to that day. Every drop of sweat, every mistake, and every hour of practice, are what will make that moment that much better. This was the moment that I had been waiting for all season.

Dome day came, and I could feel the excitement and nervousness all around me. All the bands are there that day and you can see, hear, and feel the energy all around. Seeing the movements of the feet on the field and hearing the music bounce around the room, was sending nerves and adrenaline through my body. I am now ready for this.
Before we went on, the whole band was in our warm up space practicing our warm ups and going over the show. This was starting to feel real as I was about to go out there in front of a bunch of people and play at the dome. As warm ups concluded, we all lined up to get ready to walk to out there. Every step towards the entrance of the field, made me that much more nervous and excited all at once. Left, right, left, right. I could begin to clearly see the field, and it was jaw dropping. It was so much bigger than what it looks like and being in there made me feel so much smaller. Left, right, left, right. I was now moments from stepping on the field and moments away from playing the last show of the season. Before we went to our first spots of the show, we as a band, took a moment to close our eyes and think about the show before we went out. During this time, I realized a few things. The realization set in that I had to be at my best during this performance. I had to blend, move, and sound well, in order for this performance to be the best that it can. My confidence had to be a lot higher for me to accomplish this, and finally, I had to walk out there with a positive mindset. It was now time.

Right after the performance, I was completely satisfied with myself and I knew I did my best. From the first hit on my snare drum, and the first step onto the turf, I knew the performance was going to go well. This performance was the one that lifted my confidence to the next level and I was happy with the decision to join the marching band. You never know what life can bring you. Unexpected opportunities can come from anywhere, and at anytime. But the effect that comes from it is what you make of that opportunity. Making the most of this opportunity was my priority from the start. In this case, my confidence was raised and I knew that I never had to doubt myself again. Also, the joy and happiness that came from this opportunity is irreplaceable.