I was in the Marching Black and Gold (my local community's marching band) for a total of 5 years (from 8th Grade to 12th Grade) as a member of the pit section, which is also known as the front ensemble. This is the only part of the marching band that doesn't march during performance due to the large sizes of the instruments played. During my 5 years, I played marimba, glockenspiel, cymbals, and of course, the mighty cowbell! Because our section was predominantly comprised of melodic percussion instruments, we were responsible for supporting the melody of the brass and woodwinds as well as the rhythm of the drumline and overall tempo set by the drum major.

​

I became the Percussion Section Leader during my 4th year in the band, being in charge of both the drumline as well as the pit. I then became the Band President during my 5th and final year, being in charge of the entire ensemble. During my leadership, we won multiple regional titles, including First Place at the Yamaha Cup, a regionals competition hosted at MetLife Stadium. Our winning performance can be seen in the video above. I additionally made sure that our music repertoire for football games aligned with the rehearsed dances of the cheerleaders, allowing for better synchronicity when providing pep for the fans.

​

By the end of my 5 years, we performed at multiple college and professional stadiums, high school venues all over the state of New Jersey, and even had the opportunity to perform at Disney's Hollywood Studios, foreshadowing my eventual time as a Cast Member. With the marching arts having roots in the military, discipline was the name of the game. As a result, marching band taught me valuable life lessons that I carry with me to this day. It gave me a better work ethic, fostered communication and leadership skills, and boosted my self-esteem. It was a true honor to serve in my marching band!