Halfway through my first semester of Wind Symphony (now the Wind Ensemble), I almost dropped out. I remember calling home and explaining to my mom that I just wasn’t sure it was worth the time and extra bit of pressure it put on me. I wasn’t in band in high school, so the atmosphere was new to me. I was at college for academics, wasn’t I? And I wasn’t really making friends (plus I had my freshman hall for that). But, wisely, my parents convinced me to stick with it and give it a little more before giving up.
I finally attended a “band dinner” after rehearsal one night, and my attitude turned around completely. I started talking to members more outside of rehearsal, played in a couple of casual Ultimate Frisbee games with members and their roommates/friends, and even started playing around with the idea of running for a leadership position – Publicity Director would be a great way for me to get experience in my intended Marketing major while contributing to the group.
As I delved further into the group outside of rehearsals, I started to get more out of our time spent playing music. Each instrument or section was comprised of people I knew, personalities I understood, and sharp musical minds. I was more at ease, had more fun, and started caring more about our collective success.
It’s crazy for me now to think that I almost let what became my closest group of friends and one of the most rewarding aspects of college life slip by. Over my four full years in the Wind Symphony, I served in three leadership positions and as incoming President, helped navigate the group and elected student officers through a change in directors. I watched previous officers pave the way in the local and regional communities for the Wind Symphony’s growing presence, and took my own steps toward making that happen. I grew and challenged myself as a leader, group member, and friend. I learned how to better listen to music and became a stronger flutist. I played on an intramural championship team and traveled to four different cities on tour. Most importantly, I immersed myself in my love for music and community, and emerged with the group of people whose weddings I’ll witness, whose senior recitals I visited campus to attend, and whose faces I’ll look forward to seeing most at Homecoming for years to come.
It has been over a year now since I graduated, and all of these experiences have shaped that time invaluably. I pulled stories from Wind Symphony for support in job interviews, used connections from Wind Symphony to make new friends in a new city, and have kept music as an important part of my life. It is without a doubt one of the things I’m most proud of about my time at William & Mary, and though I don’t get to play with those awesome people every week anymore, I still feel connected and valued as a member of the 84 year-old community.