Musical Mastery

           Watching a band concert is one thing, conducting a band is another, but performing with a band is something truly special. For a short period of time, I was banded together with a group of fantastic musicians. We do not call ourselves band members or band-geeks, but we call each other family. It is one culture that has made a great impact on me as well as everyone else that took part. The whole performing with the band thing is not just the act of performing on a stage to an audience, but to the audience of ourselves in everyday life.

            The first sight reading of a piece is always rough. Mistakes are made, parts are not played, and people get lost. The melody is almost impossible to decipher and the harmony is played by the people that do not even have it in their part. A disaster is the simplest way to put it. After a week, things start to improve. People have gone home and have somewhat practiced their parts. People begin to have the motivation to improve for the better of the group. The mentality of if one person does not perform their part well, it falls on the responsibility of the rest of the group.

            When week two rolls around, melodies are becoming more defiant. Harmonies are starting to develop from their core, but are missing in some important spots. People are able to listen to each other instead of gluing their eye balls to the stands in front of them. It’s always my favorite part in band when I first hear my part line up with some other cool part in a completely different section. The first time you hear that, you know that things are coming together. You can look at that section or section member and give them a we’re-the-boss type of look.

            More practice has been achieved in week three. Harmonies are prominent and melodies are played with more confidence. Intonation is still an issue, but most, if not all the notes are being produced. The piece is starting to sound like it is supposed to. Ears are pleased. It is at this time that you begin to hear things you have not heard in the piece before. Confidence in the second and third parts brings out little frills and harmonies that the piece would be boring without. You begin to get attached to the piece. At this time, you are seeing a group of high school students transform into the talented musicians an audience sees at the concert.

            The final week rolls around and the conductor is cramming to get every single last detail out of the composition before the concert. The composer’s intent and the music that exists off the page comes to life. As one participates in the playing of a piece, once can see colors and auras fill the room from one end to another. Brilliant, vibrant, cascading rays of light of all colors clash from one instrument to the next. When a piece truly comes together, the band is united by these colors and it is felt.

Music is one of the few things that can evoke emotion out of anyone despite what language they speak, what background they have, and who they think they are. At the concert, a piece that is felt by the members of the family on stage is felt by the audience and creates a family in itself. You are not one person on the stage, but you are part of a bigger picture. Listening to every little thing, there comes a point where you know the music better than what’s written on the page. It is truly something special.