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Showing posts with the label band

Moving Past Your Past

My sophomore year I joined the school band as an upright bass player. My first instrument, and the one I have most mastered, is the cello. I had been playing bass for just two months when I started in my school band. Many other band members had been playing their respective instruments since 3rd or 4th grade. I was the newbie and the only classical string player (although there was an electric bass player whose presence I am still grateful for). Being new and strange led me to feel like the other band members didn't like that I had joined the band. This caused me to play very, very quietly. I was terrified of what the other kids would think of my playing. I was particularly worried about upsetting a senior who played tuba, which is the section I was seated in. I felt that she was irritated by my mere presence when in reality she was just very shy which is why she didn't say anything to me. One of my first lessons with the band director, he told me, "You can either have a ...