And Now I’m A Teardrop Rookie...

By: Ashley Warren

            This season has been an incredibly strange one. I was scared, happy, tense, freaked out, tired, shaky, cold, wet, sneezy, grumpy (basically the seven dwarfs), miserable, hungry, thrilled, high, low, sweaty, slow, and most of all I was blown away. I did not know bands could be this good. I’m serious. In high school my band was Ok. We had to work incredibly hard only to get a high excellent in every single competition we went to. Incredibly frustrating, incredibly not worth it, which is why I surprised the heck out of myself by signing up to do college marching band. All my friends were like: “Are you insane!?!?” Apparently I am but that’s another story. To make this one short, I survived, which I still can’t believe, looking back. And now I’m a Teardrop Rookie. I thought it was so cool at band camp when everyone identified themselves as Tommy Rookies or CSNY Rookies or Elfman. Oddly enough, it never crossed my mind that I could do the same thing. During that horribly wet rehearsal we had this week it suddenly hit me, I’m a Teardrop Rookie! I mean, how cool is that? Here are some things that I will never forget about being a Teardrop Rookie:

            *Sixteenth note runs will be the death of me, you just wait and see.

            *Crying during a sectional freaks my section leader out.

             *Crying during a playing test freaks the drum major out.

            *Beer bottle-tops are good substitutes for chips, as are cigarette butts.

            *I realized I am in love with the Trombones, yes that’s right, the entire section. I

            am a trombone wanna-be.

             *That I love it when Rees gets excited during a run-through and starts banging on

            his podium. It cracks me up.

            *Animal noises make people laugh.

            *Crusty knees are cool, farmer tans are even cooler.

            *Ice water is my best friend; I wish I had a Camelbak.

            *It is possible to rock the house; Teardrop gives me goosebumps.

            *Puddles are fun, as long as they don’t smell. The sun is evil, unless its cold and

            rainy.

            *Never tell your section leader that you wish Rees knew your name, it only ends in

            embarrassment.

            *Never leave your bike on the practice field, it also only leads to embarrassment...

            and never-ending jokes. 

            *When trumpets play high, its sexy (that one’s for Jill and Kate).

*I will never get a game-ball, and that is O.K., although it won’t stop me from trying ~wink~.

            *Band Yell is the coolest song ever.

            *According to my section, I am not allowed to have children or Red Bull.

*During Rees’ speeches is anyone else waiting for the movie cameras and inspirational music to start playing?

            *Band people are weird; band is life.