One year ago, Abigail was feeling alone, her friends were sick, and her best friend was dating the only thing she considered, an a**hole. Now, Abigail has a clean slate, her friends are all better, (and single) and her elective has a band teacher or director. Abigail hopes to have a better year, with band, her friends, and everything else. This is Ab's second year of high school, based off a true story. Mine
I stepped in the double doors again, feeling less nervous than I did last year. I've been to high school before now, I knew what I was getting myself into. I knew the drill, I grabbed my schedule and walked to the library. I smiled as I saw my friends, I sat with them, Liz, Sam, and E, were there; waiting for me. We sat there for a couple of minutes staring at each other, none of us were good at socializing.
"How was everyone's summer?" I asked.
"Boring, I slept the whole time."
I smiled, "Well mine was pretty busy."
"That's nice."
When free period was over I went to my first class. Band. I took my shortcut by cutting through the cafeteria, I was nervous, seeing this new director. I knew what he looked like, we met at meet the teacher, but I still wondered he was like, and how he would change the band program.
Last year, wasn't that good for the band. I played the alto saxophone for the band for four years, and never got a superior rating. In my seventh grade year, I was in the junior high band. That same year, our old director got sick, so sick he missed at least three months of school, I did more busy work than I can count, since then, I've never looked at a word search the same way again. I don't know why I stayed the next year. In my eighth grade year, I was in the high school band, there were twenty five or more students there. I had a blast, it was the only year I felt challenged with playing music. I played in the UIL concert that year, our rating was a three. (not very good) Even though our rating wasn't good, I had a fun year in eighth grade.
I expected the same thing my freshman year, to be challenged, and pushed. But that wasn't the case, in ninth grade, none of us were pushed. Upperclassman didn't take the class seriously, I never practiced, and we spent the whole time talking instead of playing.
I walked across the street, looking around, seeing the students that I was going to play with. I frowned, seeing two seniors playing around, they were trumpet players. This wasn't going to be any better than last year. I walked in the band hall and saw the director. He was writing something on the white board, there were two straight rows of chairs. He turned around and smiled, I put my backpack down next to my usual spot where I put my instrument. I sat down in a chair, and saw the freshman and upperclassman do the same. Once the bell rang everyone was sitting down in a chair, the director stood on a podium and smiled.
"Hello, I'm Mr. Herring." He said. "I'm your new director."
He looked around the room, staring at each of us individually. This had to be the smallest group he ever had to work with.
"I'm looking forward to working with all twelve of you in hopes of making this program better. I do have some rules, there are no drinks allowed, no gum, and no phones. I want them turned off in rehearsal."
I smiled, already liking this teacher."The only drink that will be acceptable is water, if I see a phone I will take it and put it on my desk until rehearsal is over. If you continue to have your phone out I will personally deliver it to the office where you will pay a fifteen dollar fine to get it back. I am not your previous band director, I will take this program serious." The bell rang, I stood up, and walked to my backpack.
"Bring your instruments to class tomorrow, and we'll get to work." He said as we started to leave. I left the band hall feeling somewhat happy of what he said. I was still nervous, I didn't like getting introduced to new people. I also really wanted people to take my elective seriously, could he really mean it? Is he going to turn the band program around? I went to my next class, wondering what band had for me this year.
