3 Lessons Playing Trumpet in Marching Band Taught Me About Life

I was a band geek in high school. And I am proud of it.

No, I didn’t play the tuba. I never had to change the reed of a clarinet.

I played trumpet.

It taught me so much about life and myself. Without it, I don’t know where I would be today.

Here’s what playing the trumpet taught me about life:

Consistently Is Key to Life

When practicing for halftime shows at football games, our band of about 75 students would play out music while marching to a set of steps.

Like all marching bands do, we learned how to play while keeping up with the steps. We learned how to play well with one another and how it’s all a team effort.

But it wouldn’t have happened without consistency.

Each day at school during the fall, band class meant practicing for the upcoming football game halftime show. But we didn’t just practice once.

We rehearsed the songs and steps over and over and over again. My teacher always said repetition is key.

He sure wasn’t kidding.

But we stayed consistent with it. We did the same thing every day and grew better at it each time.

We knew what to do, and by making a daily habit of it, it became natural to all of us. It turned into second instinct.

By staying consistent in band, we must also stay consistent in life. By doing so, we must keep doing the same good habits and getting rid of the bad ones.

When we make a habit of this, it becomes a part of our lives. It’s because of consistency.

I just didn’t know high school marching band would teach me this.

Enjoy What You Do

I know playing an instrument in a marching band isn’t for everybody. But it certainly was for me.

I loved what I did in the band. I loved waking up early for parades and Friday nights under the lights at football games.

Everything about the experience is something I’ll never forget. And it taught me to love what you do in life.

If I would’ve hated band, I would’ve quit, just like I did with soccer and basketball. Why would I want to punish myself and stay in?

But I never hated band. I loved every second of it.

There was just something about playing trumpet and being part of a group larger than myself. The feeling is one like no other.

It taught me you have to love what you do. If you don’t, then why do it?

Why waste your life doing something you hate when you could spend time doing something you love? We only live for so long anyway, right?

Do what you love in life. I did with hand, and it taught me to do the same with anything I embark on in life.

The Show Must Go On

We are all human. Therefore, we all make mistakes. It’s just how life goes sometimes.

Did you think we were the perfect high school marching band? Think again.

We made mistakes all of the time, not matter how much we practiced. Even during performances, we messed up.

But we moved on. Because the show must go on.

The same goes with life.

When we make a mistake, don’t think twice about it. Recover quickly from it, and move on.

We all make mistakes anyway. We can’t let them define who we are. What really defines us is how we come back from making said mistakes.

Like in marching band, no matter what mistakes we make, the show must go on.

Closing Thoughts

I never knew that four years of high school marching band would teach me so many valuable life lessons. But I’m sure glad it did.

I have taken these lessons with me wherever I go in life. Playing trumpet helped me become much of who I am today.

For that and high school marching band, I am forever grateful.