In my summer to eighth grade, my friend persuaded me to participate in TBC’s summer cadet regiment with her. I was reluctant at first; I didn’t know how to march and was afraid of embarrassing myself in front of scary high schoolers. To my surprise, the high school volunteers were very friendly and taught me everything I needed to know. Not only did I learn all the fundamentals of marching and get a head start for high school marching band, I was able to create lasting memories with the friends I made through the program, from eating Taco Bell with my percussion section on the bleachers after rehearsal to performing in front of a large audience for the first time in my life. When I entered high school, I decided to apply for the officer team to contribute more to TBC and gain leadership experience. My first officer position was the Chief Recruitment Officer, where I was able to work with a team of recruitment officers from various high schools. We reached out to dozens of students from different high schools across the Bay Area to encourage them to sign up for parades. As the head of the recruitment team, I was responsible for delegating tasks and communicating with each member of our team. When Harrison and Annie told me about a new elementary program that they were planning to start near the end of my sophomore year, I was instantly captivated and decided to apply to be the director of this elementary program. With budget cuts eliminating school music programs for elementary students, TBC gave me the opportunity to make a difference and help foster the growth of our community’s children. Being the Director of Elementary Programs was an incredibly challenging job; I was responsible for coordinating all aspects of the program, such as setting up registration, managing weekly rehearsals, recruiting high school volunteers, and communicating with parents. I won’t lie; I did mess up sometimes. However, with the support from everyone on the officer team, I was able to learn from these mistakes and grow as a person and a leader through this experience. By joining TBC, I was able to develop many useful skills, such as communication, planning, and outreach. These skills helped me in all of my leadership positions throughout high school. TBC has allowed me to share my love of music with others and help the community in so many different ways. Being part of this organization continues to motivate me and push me to become a better person, and I’m incredibly grateful for this supportive community.
