Lining up on the 30 yard line, we all knew how many tick marks from the sideline we had to be. Intuitively, our shoulders line up side by side. The drum major’s finger tips twitch in sync with the time signature that’s embedded in each of our minds, the key signature in the wind player’s, the rhythms and patterns long time worked into the muscle memory of the percussionists.

Or, we’re seated in a concert hall. Regardless of our everyday clothing preferences, we’re dressed to the nines, all in black, the cohesion reflective of the mindset we all share.

Teamwork is not a concept reserved just for athletes or various academic pursuits. A true, exemplary moment of unison is never experienced more brilliantly than the moment a wind choir hits a peak of a crescendo in a relentless wave of sound.

For every occasion there is hard work, there is an equal amount of time given to celebrate a job well done. Reflecting on the shared dream and the combined effort put forth in a truly appreciative manner is unparalleled when it’s shared amongst hundreds of others.

Harmonies and melodies build upon one another, kept in time with the unending beat provided by the drums. It’s a kind of unity and focus that even the most distracted student cannot ignore while in the midst of it all. Feeling the exactness of switching from an 8 to 5 step size to the heightened quickness of a 5 to 5 step is a notion understood by everyone involved in the organization.

Band instills a sense of purpose and teamwork unlike any other group event, and reinforces the value of supporting your fellow man.