“Vision gives pain
a purpose” Kris Valloton
“If you do what you love, you are going to work your butt off every day.” Johny Hendricks
I don’t know that I have ever seen anyone work harder that teenagers in marching band. When my youngest son joined the band his freshman year of high school I had no idea what we were in for. My older son was a sports kid. He had played soccer, basketball, football and he wrestled. I thought he had a rigorous schedule that was demanding physically and mentally but his schedule pales in comparison to marching band.
Every year students give up five weeks of their summer right before school starts to stand outside on a black asphalt parking lot, in over 100 degree heat for eight to twelve hours a day five days a week. All while contorting their bodies in crazy dance moves, marching in perfect harmony with 300 other people and playing an instrument at a high level of excellence. On their “off” days, they are practicing their music individually and perfecting any choreography they may be personally struggling with.
Once school starts, these same students attend rigorous college prep classes for eight hours a day then they go straight to practice for another two and a half to three and a half hours. They get home around 8:30 p.m. to eat a quick dinner then start on homework. This schedule continues for four sometimes five months. Adding in weekly Friday night football games and Saturday competitions.
I’m sure everyone would admit this schedule is pretty grueling. But the thing that constantly amazes me is all of these students are volunteers. None of them get paid. Most of them are not even pursuing music at the collegiate level. They do it because they LOVE it! I’ve never seen anything like it. I have shown up at the end of a twelve hour day in the scorching heat of South Texas and hear the band director say, “let’s run it again one last time.” This statement is greeted with enthusiastic cheers. No groans. No sighs. Cheers!
I don’t know anyone that works harder than these students but there is no place they would rather be. The vision of what they will become as a band and the show they will be able to perfect and present gives all the pain a purpose. This is the kind of momentum you get when people are in their strength zone with a strong vision to follow. It’s not that it isn’t hard work, it just that you love it!
