Senior Perspective on Band

      I've been in the symphonic band class in all four years of high school. Freshman year, when I was moved to this top band 2nd semester, I was nervous as heck. I was the only freshman in the band of 50-ish people besides one boy who played tuba and sat on the opposite side of the room as me. That year, band was a scary but exciting class for me: I was surrounded by upperclassmen, the music was fast, I had so many notes to play, we sounded so much better than the freshman band. On top of this, the flute section loved me: apparently being a freshmen automatically made me a hot commodity. Band was so interesting and exciting then.
     Sophomore year, I was in the same band (there's no "next step" after symphonic). I still felt special as only a handful of sophomores made the band, and I began to nervously make friends with some upperclassmen. I still felt that the band was really good, and I actually felt like I could master the notes and rhythms.
     Junior year, band class began to get boring. For the third year, I had band every day during first hour, and we had the same routine of warm-ups, concert schedules, and rehearsals. On top of this, I had played in the All State orchestra over the summer before junior year, so the level of skill and musicality just didn't seem as special any more. Also, many more people in my grade were in the same band - I no longer felt "special" to be a junior in the band.
     This year, the pattern continues. Because most of my band friends had been upperclassmen (and also because I'm in IB music and out of band some days), I find myself slightly isolated from the flute section. The routine is still essentially the same. Like any senior band member, I'm also a master at deciphering just what and why the conductor, Mr. Lyons, does and it's become very predictable. We've even played some songs that I played in symphonic band freshman or sophomore year. Although I still like the class and love playing, the class itself has lost a lot of its touch.
     Isn't it strange and sad how a perspective on something that stays so constant can change over time? Band used to be so exciting for me; now it's gotten boring, and I feel like the class has very little to offer me anymore. I apologize for the long post, but I was just thinking back on my band memories and how they've changed over time and feeling a little sad about it.