Sitting on my porch one afternoon I was listening to the band practice at the school. The school is up the street and on clear days all the outdoor activities can be heard. Immersed in the music memories began to consume me and I found myself transported back in time.

I was in the fifth grade when band became a part of my life. The choice of an instrument to play was decided by my admiration of an older cousin. This cousin lived in foreign countries due to her father being in the military. At age 10 it seemed exotic to me to experience other cultures and meet people. So I learned to play the flute in hopes that one day I could travel the world and have these experiences.

The school I attended had grades one through twelve with the band comprising students from grade six to twelve. So in the sixth grade I began playing in the marching band. My world expanded as I began playing at football games. The older students were to be revered and for the most part the younger students were encouraged and generally treated as younger siblings.

In the early years my flute playing was only fair and I was a bit clumsy at marching. Somehow my feet just could not coordinate with playing the flute. The band was large enough that I could march and pretend to play the flute. Often there were breaks and the younger students got to watch the rifles and flags practice complex routines.

The competition to be in the rifle and flag ensembles was competitive and one had to be an upper classman to tryout. I was amazed at how the rifles were thrown into the air effortlessly and the patterns that would emerge when the flags and rifles joined together. Each afternoon I would take a broom outside and try to imitate the motions of the routines. Looking back now it was quite comical practicing as the broom would often fall to ground and sometimes hit my head on the way down. Still in my imagination I was one of the team.

During rifle and flag practices it was considered an honor to take care of the instruments of the students on the team. The younger students would often argue over who got to hold the instruments while practice was going on. The admiration of this group was much like one who is fascinated with royalty. In their bright costumes and dramatic performances it seemed like this group was the picture of perfection.

One night at a football game one of the rifles asked if one of us would hold her flute during a half time performance. I volunteered and was so excited when handed the instrument. After the rifle left to get in line for the performance, it hit me that I was also in the show marching in the back row. Since I was not good at marching and counting where I needed to be when patterns were made it had been decided that I should stand in one place during the show close to the sidelines. This was a wonderful solution for me and a few other students who just could not quite get the hang of marching.

At first I panicked wondering how I was going to march with two flutes onto the field. Then being a little creative I put the two flutes together and marched into my place on the field. It was a bit bulky but when I got to my spot I put the other flute by my right leg so it would blend in with the uniform. It was a bit uncomfortable but somehow I pulled it off. Then when it was time to leave I picked up the flute and marched off the field.

The rifle came and thanked me for holding the flute during the performance. Apparently no one had noticed that I was carrying two flutes on the field. It is said that some things in retrospect are comical and this occasion for me is one of those times. After that night the rifle and flag team, my fascination with the group seemed to fade.

My family moved after that year into a new school district. I played the flute in the band and was never more than a fair player. My marching skills did not improve much and I never became a member of the rifle and flag teams. Still I enjoyed the experience of being able to go to football games and participate in the musical world.

The band has stopped playing and I am back in the present. I am still mesmerized by the patterns and music played by school bands. I am thankful for treasured memories of childhood experiences.

copyright 2023 Debbie Pierce