Page 17 - 2017-BMR-December

Reflections . . .

We decided to let the kids focus on homework, Region thankful to have found a family here. I heard kids who
Orchestra prep, etc. yesterday during classes and reserved all they wanted to do was quit until a certain person or
today for reflection. I didn’t want to try and tell the kids group of people decided to take them under their wing
how to feel about their season or what they should be and help them realize that they have a place in our band
thinking. I wanted to give them the opportunity to share family. I listened to kids who struggle socially express that
their thoughts and personal reflections on their experience, they feel welcome and important. Teenage boys sharing
whether it was over the weekend or how much they’ve loved performing
something in the season that was What I witnessed this together and growing together as
meaningful to them. morning was one of the friends and musicians. Grown boys
Holy cow...I had NO IDEA what embracing the fact that their buddies
was in store...What I witnessed most beautiful things I’ve brought them to tears after finishing
this morning was one of the most ever seen. These kids... our last performance. Kids talking
beautiful things I’ve ever seen. These these beautiful kids, one about meeting other band members
kids...these beautiful kids, one after after another, shared and band parents who told them
another, shared their hearts and their hearts and bared their performance made them cry.
bared their souls to each other for the their souls to each other I heard kid after kid share their
better part of each class. I listened for the better part of personal experience of their Finals
to kid after kid raise their hand to performance and the sheer joy and
express how thankful they were for each class. It was like elation that followed with their peers
a friend, how proud of themselves they were finally free outside of the tunnel. Kids were
they were for fighting for something of their burdens and crying and hugging each other like
bigger than themselves, how much it hardships and had the it’s all they had in the world that
meant to have their parents standing freedom to just be and night. And then they did this again
in front of them in the rehearsal express their love and in class this morning...two days later
hall during our final run through, care for one another. and in our smelly, broken-down
how much they developed a love band hall. And I cried and cried and
for one another over the course of cried while listening to these young
time while working together each day. They talked about men and women share their hearts with one another with
how much they grew as a family. That they’d never felt as complete and total abandon. Most of my make-up was on
close as a group as this year. I heard kids talk about losing my jacket sleeve by 10 a.m.
family members and other loved ones during marching I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears. A group of
season and specifically point out others in the room and teenagers, many who are overly protective of sharing too
thank them for carrying them through their personal much for fear of being criticized and many who are so hard
battles. I witnessed young girls who I’ve counseled this on themselves and are afraid of failure or of being mocked
fall share how much being in the band means to them that they don’t let people see them too intimately, were
and that it’s what gets them through their darkest days. I literally baring their souls to each other. It was like they
heard move-in students shed tears and share about how were finally free of their burdens and hardships and had
they came from a small school or band program and how the freedom to just be and express their love and care for
much they missed their friends from their old school one another. It was literally the most precious thing I think
but how proud they were to be in our band; they were I’ve ever been able to witness.

Bandmasters Review • December 2017 15 Texas Bandmasters Association