Ask any stressed out percussionist, our concert (along with the Jazz Band) was a little early this year. The concert being a month earlier means more practices and less time to learn music. Percussion ensemble season is a crazy time. By just signing up for percussion in sixth grade, you don’t really know what you’re getting into.

We have to do so many extra things that the other band students don’t have to do. Just to prepare for this concert, on Mondays we had two ensembles: one was called “Danse Macabre” and the other “Big Country”. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, some of us had to be at school for 12 hours! On those days, from 7-8 am was the battery piece called “Malfred” (which is very hard), and from 5-7 pm, we had our advanced percussion piece called “Cyclone”. Not even mentioning the three percussionists that have jazz after school from 4-5 pm on tuesday and thursday afternoon. You might think that the three busiest ones could get their homework done in tribe time… but no, because they also practiced another ensemble, Trio Per Uno on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Having less time for our concert is extremely stressful, especially when we’re even more tired. Also, have you ever heard of AP or Dual Credit classes? We’re in those, too. Oh yeah, and also we have to learn our solos in 10 days!

But, with all of that said, the concert last Friday was actually so much fun. Me along with other people who won’t be named have been having so many negative thoughts about band. The amount of homework and sleep time have been so compromised because of all the practices. But I had so much fun at the concert. I was expecting it to be hectic and stressful and just a mess because of my emotions from all of the practices. I was so ready to quit two weeks ago. And now I’m mad at myself for even thinking that. I love (while sometimes hate) being in percussion! It really is all worth it in the end. Performing well for something that you worked so hard for is such a satisfying feeling.