"Untitled" by Sandra S

Five, six, seven, breathe! 

The morning sky was cloudy, and the air was cold, reading 52 degrees fahrenheit. As gloomy as the day appeared, the events following the day would be ingrained in my head as some of the happiest memories I have ever experienced. 

I arrived at Ben’s house at 7:30 A.M. with increasing concern that he was not picking up after several phone calls or answering the front door after knocking hundreds of times. Following a series of panicked text messages and additional phone calls with the other members of our group in regards to his whereabouts, a sleepy Ben looked outside the window, to which I responded by yelling at him to hurry up and get his things. Chuckling to myself with amusement, I messaged our group, “He overslept!” 

Despite the error of Ben’s ways, I was relieved to find that we still arrived at the Redlands University Chapel quite early --- about fifteen minutes before 9:00. Entering the chapel, the room was darkened, yet still dimly lit from the few rays of sunlight hitting the glass. By the time our conductor motioned the downbeat at 9:00, where everyone was situated in their seats and warmed up, bright and warm rays of sunlight hit the black and white notes through the colorful stained glass from the windows, and the massive portrait of Jesus Christ and his apostles behind the ensemble came to life with vivid colors of red, blue, yellow and green. 

To say that I loved the concert repertoire is an understatement. These were some of the best and most challenging pieces I ever got to rehearse and eventually perform. For the last time before the concert that was to follow five hours later, I basked in the exciting fast sixteenth-note runs of “Vanity Fair” by Percy Fletcher, the slow intensity of “Sheltering Sky” by John Mackey, the mysteriousness of “Eternal Memoir: Saga of the Lucky Dragon” by Hirokazu Fukushima, and the regality of “The White Rose March” by John Philip Sousa. 

After our final rehearsal, my friends Ben and Ryan, who I have known since middle school and met through music, walked the grassy courtyard in front of the chapel. Us three walked side-by-side down the leaf-carpeted sidewalks lined with large and grand trees, reminiscing and laughing about past middle school memories. I recall looking at them and marvelling at how much they have grown since sixth grade. We unknowingly walked a long distance, and we each looked back behind us to see the chapel way behind us and shrunken in size. We walked back to my parents’ car when they arrived to pick us up, innocently counting how many cemented squares that were placed on the sidewalks we strolled over. 

The sun had set and the sky was streaked with pink clouds amidst a blue and purple sky. Our group of Etiwanda musicians arrived back to the chapel and we transformed from casual

street clothes to sleek, black and elegant tuxedos and concert gowns. Taking our seats in the audience, the high school honor ensemble watched and listened to the elementary and middle school ensembles, and the students from my old middle school amongst the group of etiwanda students were hit with a wave of nostalgia to hear the younger ensembles play pieces from when we were beginner musicians.
When it was finally time for the high school ensemble to perform, I felt the familiar sensation of adrenaline running through my body that always came before any performance. The stage lights shined bright on our faces, the air felt heavier, and the audience seemed far away as they were shadowed in the darkness. As I brought my instrument to my lips, I geared to perform my best, and I savored every moment of every piece we played through. Looking back at recordings of our performance, each and every member moved with certain body language that communicated unison soul and passion for music. 

My experience in the 2018 San Bernardino County Honor Band with the other thirteen students from Etiwanda High School is, to this day, one of the most prominent experiences of where I can remember why I love playing and performing music so much. Not only has music led me to create wonderful memories and friends that have lasted me for years, but it has also granted me the opportunity to illustrate and communicate my heartfelt emotions for music towards others, who I hope were able to feel the same way about music the way I do.