Nayha with her best friend Rachel; Source: Facebook
Out of all the different activities offered at Virginia Tech, we chose marching band. This post looks at why members first chose to join band and why they continued.
Since most middle schools require students to take a music class, many of us were first introduced to concert band at the start of middle school. In other words, joining band was not an unusual choice. Joining marching band, however, is a slightly more unusual endeavor.
Like other extracurricular activities, the social aspect is a large reason why people initially join marching band and why people continue. If all of someone’s friends are joining a club, they might feel inclined to also join the club.
“My closest friends decided to [join marching band] so I decided to jump on the bandwagon.” -Jessica Stewart, Sophomore Trombone
Jessica and the friends she has made in the Marching Virginians; Source: Facebook
Jessica and the friends she has made in the Marching Virginians. Source: Facebook
Most people first join marching band in 9th grade, or if the high school allows it, 8th grade. However others had a later start. One of the reasons why people don’t join marching band immediately is that they are occupied by other extracurricular activities, but then eventually join because they want to try something new.
“I joined marching band as a junior in high school. I ran cross country before, but found I wasn’t enjoying it.” -Nayha Pochiraju, Sophomore Clarinet
Another common reason why people joined marching band was because they saw some type of performance that truly inspired them. The Marching Virginians aim to be this inspiration, which is why we engage in activities such as high school exhibitions and “MV for a Day.”
“Watching my local high schools marching band show ‘Knights in the Looking Glass’ led me to join marching band in my sophomore year of high school.” -Hailey Schmidt, Color Guard Junior
As for why people stay in marching band, it is almost always a combination of the familial environment that marching band has to offer and the passion and love for the sport that an individual has gained through his/her experience.
Color guard leadership working as a team; Source: Katie Rizzolo
“I love all the friendships and memories I have made through band and there’s nothing else I would rather spend my time doing” -Jessica Stewart, Sophomore Trombone
“I love being able to see all my best friends every day at practice and performing at halftime with them.” -Nayha Pochiraju, Sophomore Clarinet
“I met so many incredible people and performing with my best friends kept pushing me to continue throughout high school and college.” -Hailey Schmidt, Color Guard Junior