.png)
I never imagined that my closest friends would be the ones I only see seven days out of the year. Some are over a hundred miles away from my hometown, but the distance doesn’t break our bond.
That being said, when we’re together there is NO time to be wasted or words to be filtered. It’s the little moments we hold close and remember the longest. During our seven days together we see each other at our worst and best. We’re there to help lift each other when we fall and push ourselves forward when we encounter a hurdle.
We are a family.
You most likely have at least one friend like this, but they cannot compare to those you befriend in the Wisconsin FFA Honors Band. These friends are my second family, my Band FFAmily.
On Saturday night, August 10th, I sat around rectangular tables with my fellow band members who are serving their last year, too. We shared smiles, laughter, and a few tears. Two hours of story-telling had quickly passed and all I could do was sit there with eyes-wide, no words, and thought-crazed as I looked at those surrounding me. The 20 musicians gathered that evening have developed bonds stronger than the unbreakable force of two, five-gallon pails stuck together.
For those of you a part of my Band FFAmily and reading this, thank you and I love you dearly.
On the contrary, I need to rewind our clock and tell you how I got to August 10th, 2019. It was NOT easy, especially since at heart I am a true introvert. Going into my sophomore year of high school, 2015, was my first year in FFA band. Being an introvert, I spent very little time socializing with those surrounding me and more time reading a book on the windowsill of the lobby. This seriously happened, and I was called the book girl. Truthfully, if I could, I would go back and re-do that year.
The following year I wasn’t able to apply; however, in 2017 I took the first opportunity to apply for my second year. Looking back, 2017 was my favorite year. One of my good friends, Collin, helped me overcome my first hurdle… making friends. He invited me to hang out with a group of people at the state fair after our performances. This small step became the first moment I met the individuals I now call my Band FFAmily. Since then, it feels like I’ve spent countless hours practicing, performing, dancing and laughing with those people.
The year 2018 passed quickly, as a couple of people in our band family were not able to perform that year. However, the family continued to grow and our memories became stronger.
Here we are back in 2019, and as I write this blog there are so many people I’m thankful for. I wish I would have taken just a moment to stand up during the evening of Saturday, August 10th to share these words with them all. However, one thing still hasn’t changed, I’m still secretly that introvert who loves to read books.
I hope you enjoy the chronological video I developed in honor of my last year in the Wisconsin State FFA Honors Band. Due to several technical glitches, I was not able to get interviews placed into this video. I will continue to work on it and post it at a later time, sorry.
DEDICATION:
Dedicated to ENTIRE 2019 Wisconsin FFA Honors Band for being a part of something bigger than us all... the art and emotion of music.
A special thank you to these specific individuals for being fantastic, whether that’s in the form of encouragement, an open-ear, a small check-in or your smile and laugh.
Austin Bartel
Justin Chipman
Ella Koenig
Kaleb Krzyszton
Alex Lewandowski
Lizzy Novak
Lucas West
… and more.
WHAT IS THE Wisconsin FFA Honors Band?
The Wisconsin FFA band is selectively created through the submission of FFA members audition tapes and applications.
FFA Band members meet three days in June at the Wisconsin FFA Convention. Members spend the majority of the time practicing 18+ different music pieces and performing pre-sessions during the convention. In August, the band gathers to West Allis to perform during the second week of the state fair. At the fair, the band practices only on Thursday afternoon and performs approximately 6 times during the four-day adventure at the Wisconsin State Fair. Members can also choose to dedicate extra time to play in the Wisconsin FFA Jazz Band. This band performs once during the State FFA Convention and approximately twice at the WI State Fair, in addition to a 2-3 extra hours of practice.
Comments