Making all-county band is one of the most prestigious band competitions in Baltimore county. At the start of last year, I really wanted to get into all-county. I had already been taking drum lessons prior to that year so I knew I had a pretty good chance to get into all-county. I felt like I had the skills to get into all-county. I got the music, brought it to my drum teacher, and I started practicing it.

Although I was not practicing much, I did learn the drum pieces fast, so I did not think I would have to practice that much. My parents did not like that I was not practicing much so they started asking me to practice more. I did not want to practice more so I resisted my parents and did not practice. They would soon be taking away all my electronics until I practiced for 30 minutes each day.

I did not have good motivation to practice for all county because I thought I could just look at the music and play it. I was totally wrong. I barely knew the pieces and the only reason I somewhat knew how to play it is because me and my drum teacher played it with me. I felt so cool and better than everyone else that I wouldn’t even practice to get better and secure the placement in all-county band.

My band teacher really wanted me to be in all-county and thought I could do it because in 6th grade I did not perform well in band but in 7th grade I started taking medicine and could focusing on the music more, so my band teacher really thought I had what it took to get into all-county. I did practice a little bit in the beginning but soon did not want to practice much anymore.

My parents kept telling me that I needed to practice every day on all the pieces for at least an hour every day but I really wanted to keep playing on my computer so I did not practice much which really made my parents upset but they did not force me because I needed to take initiative and practice myself because it was something I wanted and they were willing to help me but I had to start it.

After I wasn’t practicing I soon realized that the pieces were difficult. They were more difficult than any music piece I had played in school, so I knew I had to practice hard to get in.

I only practiced about 2 times a week and the auditions were coming up quick, so I mostly relied on my drum teacher to help me get it. One thing that was really a struggle was a bell piece. I had never taken bell lessons before and did not learn much of bells in elementary school so that was one of the hardest pieces to practice for.

I knew I could play it and have it down if I practiced it a lot but as I said before, I never practiced so I felt like I would not be able to play it at the audition. My drum teacher knew this and tried everything to help me play it well in the audition.

Audition day came, and I was so nervous. I knew I could do it, so I did not know why I was nervous. I got into the room where I could practice the audition pieces one last time and I messed up one part on each of the pieces which made me even more nervous. Audition time came, and I went into the room. They asked me to play my scales on the bell set, and a long roll for soft to forte on the snare drum.

Then I played my snare drum piece and my bell set piece. I nailed those pieces and felt really good about myself even though I was shaking for half the time. After that, they asked me to sight read a piece. I was super nervous, so I accidentally picked bells. I felt so stupid after that moment and tried my best to read the notes that was on that page. It did not go so well. I almost cried after that and came out of the audition room feeling really bad about myself.

I did not hear back from them until a field trip we had in December. My dad was one of the Chaperons, so he could check in the band room to see who got In and if I got in. He came into the classroom upset so I knew something was wrong. He said I didn’t make it. He said I made alternate. I started crying because I had taken drum lessons and tried my best on it. I got really angry at myself as well because I thought that If I wouldn’t have picked to sight read bells, I probably would have made it.

We went on the field trip and I was sad for the whole trip just thinking about how I could have made it. When I got home all I could do was cry because it had been something I really wanted to do and just kept thinking to myself “how could you have messed this up” and “you should have just picked snare drum to sight read”. My parents felt really bad for me, so they just bought me a 5-dollar game, but it was not enough.

I didn’t want to tell my grandparents because my grandfather was a band director and he helped me on the audition pieces, so he probably would have been disappointed that I only made alternate and not made it in. He was directing the top bands and knew that I had the skills to do it, so we did not tell him until the beginning of this year and luckily, he was not mad, just a little upset.

This year I am determined to make it. I have been practicing every day and now I am taking extra drum lessons to help me with bells, I am also taking longer drum lessons to have more time to practice. My parents wanted me to do all-state band and my band teacher thought I could but when the audition day came around, they knew that I couldn’t do it and it was way too much for me.

I am ready to take the audition which is December 1st, and really want to get in this time so I can actually play in the band. In alternate you could play if a kid didn’t show up but that did not happen, so I didn’t get to play but this year I know what I must do to get in and, in the future, and will know.

In the audition room I will remember, to pick to sight read, snare drum.