I believe in following your heart and passions.
I have always been involved in sports and music as a kid in middle school and high school, but as the years progressed I could only truly commit to one. The first instance of this happening was when during my freshman year of high school, I was told I had to choose either being in the drumline for the band or playing football for the school. I thought long and hard about this and even kept asking family and friends on what THEY think I should do.
Long story short I ended up participating as a member of my school’s drumline and devote the majority of my free time to it. I can easily say now that I don’t regret that decision one bit, but honestly, I didn’t feel the same way about my situation back then. I would constantly think about quitting the band to join the football team because being in the band didn’t seem so “cool”, and of course, a freshman boy in high school holds coolness to a very high priority. However, I stuck with it for four years and made some lifelong friends along the way. Again, this was hands down one of the best things I have done with my life, but yet again, was once at a point where I was one decision from leaving the activity for good.
The day after I graduated high school, I had to get shoulder surgery due to an injury I sustained when I played rugby that spring. I had already been accepted to Penn State and my friend and I planned to audition for the Blue Band. As the summer progressed, I dealt with more anxiety about the audition since my shoulder had inhibited me from practicing as much as I would have hoped. In the end, I only had like two weeks to prepare for the audition, which didn’t seem like enough time at all. The whole summer I was also attending summer session at PSU, so I was busy with classes and couldn’t find time to relax, so naturally, I was very stressed. In the week between summer session and auditions, I was trying to figure out if this is something I really wanted to do since I hadn’t prepared all that much. If I didn’t make the band, I thought it would be pretty embarrassing since I confidently told so many people that I was trying out. Nonetheless, I showed up a week before classes started with my parents so they could help me move in. We arrived at the check-in and they informed us that my dorm wouldn’t be ready until the next day, which is a problem because the band reserved my dorm for me so I could audition that whole week. I started to say stuff like “It doesn’t even matter, I won’t make it anyway, let’s just go home.” which was kind of me rolling over and submitting to some minor challenges. My parents told me that we were already in PSU and that I would regret not trying out because it was something I loved to do. After an hour or so of deliberating and contemplation, I decided to follow through with the audition.
It was packed with wide-eyed freshman and sophomores, eager for a spot in the band. I kept telling myself, “Just do your best, and show them this is what you love to do”. After a few days of some intense music and marching auditions, they made final cuts. I had receive a spot on Bass Drum, and that’s currently what I play in the band right now.
If I hadn’t followed my passion, which was music, I would not have been able to attend the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, Big Ten Championship, or most importantly made the friends I met through Blue Band. Making the band was truly a defining moment in my life and I am happy that I made the right decision.