Curtain Call

Early this week, I stepped onto the stage for the last time in my high school career. About an hour earlier, I proudly walked into the band room and dressed rebelliously while I was surrounded by white-and-black clad underclassmen. I sought out my fellow seniors, also dressed in bright and striped garb, and reveled in the realization that this would be our last performance together.

I’ve spent the better part of my high school years in the band room. If I wasn’t playing music during and after school, I was sitting just outside its doors eating lunch and hanging out with friends. Over the years, it’s become my “second home,” the place where I seek refuge with my second family and feel comfortable enough to let loose. I tried participating in many groups in high school, but this was the only place where I felt like I fully belonged.

Traditionally, the last concert of the year is reserved to honor the senior members of the band. In past years, all groups in the music program perform, including the jazz bands, string orchestra, drumline, color guard, and concert band. However, after last year’s concert ran over four hours long, band director Charles Ortega shortened the program to include just the strings and concert band.