I thought about "flunking" out of high school. Should I? It meant so much to me, so how could I leave it? How could I graduate and leave behind the thing that I loved so much and based my life around for part of the year? How could I graduate knowing that I would not march with my band anymore?

How to describe my view of marching in general so you can understand. hmmm. It's kind of like the waves of an ocean gently lapping at your feet, then growing stronger and stronger, until the wind starts to pound and wail. Then the sun vanishes and dark clouds cover the sky. A deep excitement settles in you. After that the waves start crashing so violently that you are knocked off your feet, the wind is howling so loud that you go deaf, and your soul is screaming so loud at the wonder of this hurricane sweeping you up along with it that you lose yourself completely and you cry out at the total bombardment of your senses. And then you release the last note and the storm is gone.

That was what it was like for me throughout all of high school. I looked forward all year to being a North Posey Marching Viking again. You used to see buttons that said, "When I die, I'll go to heaven, I've already been to band camp!" Well, to me, band camp was heaven. I was with my second family and I was doing what I loved more than life. At times it was the only thing that kept me going.

But, (There is always a but in everything, huh?) now I am an Indiana State Marching Sycamore. I have to admit, coming here for college was scary. I left behind everything I knew and my marching band. I was a Marching Viking; it was my whole identity for god's sake! I only knew a few people from a Brickyard performance I had done two weeks earlier.

I felt so alone and so afraid. But when you're in a social group as tight as marching band is, you can't be alone for long. The upperclassmen started to talk to me. They pulled me out of my proverbial "shell" and showed me the real side of college marching. They told me that no matter what, we always "take care of our own." The drill is not near as hard. It disappointed me at first because some of the sets will hold for a long park and blow segment. But I grew to like it because the music was so far beyond comparison to high school. We put our hearts into the music and that is what makes the crowds stand up, not the elaborate forms I used to do. As my high school band director, and somewhat of a surrogate mother to us during the marching season, once told me, you have to, "Grab them by the collar, make them listen to you, and scream I am here!"

The styles for marching are different too. In high school I was used to the sharp pops, lifts, and hip-shifts that gave marching a crisp cut look. In college we use an easy flowing marching style. It works better and is harder to make mistakes in. I have to admit that I still liked the crispness of high school, but the quality of music in college demands more, and marching, less. The music makes it all worthwhile in the end.

So what do you say to someone who wants to march in college, but is leaning toward not because of time constraints? Well, marching in college is hard to do if you have a busy class schedule (which I do). My only advice is do it anyway. I have friends who decided not to march their freshman year, and now regret it totally. You gain so many experiences and friends. I believe that what I had in high school is already being surpassed by my college experiences. I am also a music education major, so I have a heavy load already. So if you think you can't do it I have news for you. You can. It takes will and self-determination on your part, but it can be one of the best things that ever happened to you. The camaraderie that I share with every single one of the Marching Sycamores is beyond measure. There are so many different people in different fields and majors in marching band. There are, also, such a variety of personalities that can change you views and reshape your life. And don't worry; you still see the band girlfriend/boyfriend phenomenon happening in college. It seems to happen wherever you go.

So is marching better in college? I have to say it is equal to or better than high school. I love things about each, but I have to say I like college better. I have so many people I not only trust, but would also give them anything thing they asked for. My friends have my complete and utter devotion. If I need a friend, they are always there for me, no matter what. I adhere strictly to that phrase, "We take care of our own."

So if you are being indecisive like I was, I suggest you try college and march. You may like it and you may not. But you will still have a lot of friends from the experience. You may regret the lost chance if you don't. In my opinion marching band is an art form, port, cheering section, entertainer, and social group that will help you in whatever you chose to do in life.

So, hey, if you are interested in the Indiana State Marching Sycamores, give me a buzz, I'll be happy to see what I can do for you. If not, I hope you chose to march somewhere else (Ball State, Indiana State, and Purdue are other top notch marching schools). I made a choice not to flunk and to continue and now my life is hard, but I am a Marching Sycamore, and that is something I can take extreme pride in.