At TBC, I learned a lot. As the parade DM, I was given a unique opportunity to lead TBC parade practices, practice having clear, concise communication, and observe what worked well for each attending group of students. Within the music department, I was integrated into a team of 5 new faces (everyone else was from MSJ), and we all had to work together to complete our designated tasks for each quarter.
Some challenges I faced at TBC are that at the time, a majority of the members in TBC were from MSJ. I wanted to recruit/expand more from other schools, balanced role as parade DM, and expanding our recruitment efforts at IHS. I learned leadership through hands-on experience, i.e. leading parade practice rehearsals, communication/organization/project planning with the members in the (TBC) music department, publicity and outreach through active recruitment at IHS.
TBC also prepared me for my college and career. Socially, I was able to learn how to work well with others and make new friends. In leadership , TBC prepared me for Parade DM of IHS. Using both of those combined experiences for understanding how to run a student organization at UCSD. Some lessons I learned were to focus on your team dynamic and ensuring all of your teammates understand the next target goal while having fun reaching it. Focus on clear & concise communication. Focus on planning ahead. TBC was one of those experiences where I got to put myself out there and see what worked. At the time, I was a junior in HS when I became the parade DM, and I never actually lead a band during practice or in a parade. I remember for the first few practices, I was constantly out-of-step, messing up whistle commands, and pretty sure I voice cracked sometimes while giving commands too. But rather than sulking on past mistakes, I was able to become more confident and outgoing through these faux pas, learning how to learn and move on from failures.
My experience at TBC was very positive. I made lots of friends
and memories (through practices, parades, after practice dinners & other food events, road trips, traveling to London)
and developed lots of soft skills.
