What you get is what you give

Well day one is over I can't believe it. After a 6am wake up call, a 6-hour rehearsal, uniform fitting, and dinner, the last thing I wanted to do was sit through a 2-hour leadership seminar. I had been to many leadership seminars before and they all said the same thing. So naturally, I assumed that this would just another boring lecture. The last word on earth to describe this lecture would be boring. Mr. Lang was the most thought provoking, energetic, and honest person I have ever had the honor to meet. He started his talk off by saying that he did not have to hear us play or see us march to know how we are going to perform on Thursday. He sat in front of the room for 24 minutes and no one said anything to him. He watched us disrespect and talk over one of the staff members for ten minutes. He knew we were not giving them anything so how should we expect to get anything. Kids not knowing the music, not knowing the steps, not giving anything into it. So how could we expect to get anything out of it? As Mr. Lang continued he said that there are three things we teach in band that aren't taught anywhere else. The first is that in order to get you got to give. Many times in life we get something for giving nothing. Yet, it is the band students who understand that you have to give to get. Well once a student is in band, they decided they want to be in marching band. Well that takes more time, but once you are in marching band then you have to try out for jazz band, but that takes more time too. Then you have to be in All State, but to be in All State you have to be in All District. It is a never-ending cycle that is the life of every band student. The second is this. Win = Win. In order for me to win, we all have to win. If the color guard messes up, the band's score goes down. If the drum line messes up the whole band's score goes down. It doesn't matter how well I know the moves and music the rest of the Tenor Sax section doesn't know them. If other areas of life my winning depends on someone else losing. In order to be a class officer some else had to lose. The third thing is this. Band members don't quit until it's perfect. On Monday we will practice something over and over and over and over and over again. Just to go back on Tuesday and play that same section over and over and over and over again. And when the Band director says, "Ok band one more time" we all know it is a lie. (A note of warning to all the band directors, Mr. Lang told us to throw something at our directors next time they said, "One last time".) But, we will practice moves, music, whatever until it is perfect. And only once it is perfect will we move on to the next section. Teachers say that the band kids are the best kids, but we are the best because we think differently. Through the three things, and the fact that we can be told to do something and we will do it, we become the best. No other thing does that. Sports don't do it; they only do it for those who don't get cut. Anyone who wants to be in band can be. And that is why we are the best. The more you give the more you get. In order for me to win, we all have to win. Never quit unless it is perfect.