What am I Good At: The Percussion Band Essay.

It was uncomfortably hot. Percussionists were buzzing with nervous energy, and the camera flashes from the audience were not helping. It was Finals Day in Dayton, Ohio for the WGI Nationals percussion competition. Here I stood with the rest of my ensemble members, agonizing over the delay in hearing our fate, “Will we make it to the top three?” 

Just last year, I desperately wanted to spearhead my ensemble to victory at nationals. But it was not to be. Devastated by the announcement, “In fourth place, with a score of 94.125, 94.125, Arcadia High School,” we had lost the medal by a hair, a tenth of a point to be exact. I vowed never to let it happen again; next year we would bring home a medal.