Day 1:

After trudging through two periods of school (Band and Physics), I finally got to meet up with my fellow band friends, and off to all-district we went. The bus was highkey musty and not worth the 5 dollars per person that we paid, but whatever. serenaz26 and I had intended to sit together, but due to parity reasons, I sat behind her and looked out the window for a third of the ride to a nearby “food court” place (It’s like 6 restaurants that are near each other). Also, I got serenaz26’s piccolo part for Go Galop because she REALLY didn’t want to play it. Thus, I made my second-ever piccolo sound and actually got semi-consistent at it (minus the part where like 3 notes won’t sound because the piccolo is broken haha)

When we arrived at the food court, serenaz26, khhu, HD, and VL. Hopefully, the people who were with me know who I’m talking about. We went to the Chipotle in the “food court,” and ate there. I had a lunch of pasta packed and a sandwich for dinner, but I decided to screw it and have Chipotle for lunch and pasta for dinner. serenaz26 is a goat and paid for me, which reminds me that I have to pay her $15 tomorrow, but anyway, we ate there and decided to roam around the nearby Academy Sports + Outdoors shop.

Upon entrance, we made some jokes about “what if we see [our band conductor] because he’s addicted to ice baths and golf.” Thankfully, we did not see him in the store, saving us from what could have been a very embarrassing experience. I went over to the weight section with HD, where we completely lost serenaz26, khhu, and VL, and they were calling out our name. The two of us were like “nah nah we’re not getting in trouble don’t answer.” HD ended up taking a mirror picture because idk all for the ‘gram haha. HD ended up going back over to serenaz26 and company, while I checked out some TRX bands. After realizing how expensive they are, I caught back up with serenaz26 and company. We checked out the firearm and fishing section, where I had a really awkward but funny conversation with the man behind the firearms counter. Before leaving, serenaz26 and khhu admired 6 oz Yeti cups that were meant for espresso shots, while HD and I checked out some softball/baseball bats, giving them a test swing.

After successfully roaming through Academy (and being disappointed that there was no golf simulator), we went to Starbucks and played charades on HD’s phone. Before leaving, there was a huge debate on whether we should get a cup of Starbucks to fuel us until 9 pm, but we decided against it, a decision that we would soon regret.

On the bus ride to Good Luck HS, I talked to khhu about some random stuff and assorted topics, and eventually, we arrived. Saying thanks to the driver and departing from our bus, our little group of Enloe people stuck together and went inside. Upon entering (this was my first time inside Good Luck HS), I was amazed. The building was so nice, and everything was clean, unlike Enloe. Intrusive thoughts about transferring back to Good Luck HS rushed through my mind while I admired every little part of Good Luck HS. It was at this moment that both serenaz26 and I started getting tired and regretting our decision not to buy Starbucks, so I got her to buy a Sugar-Free Pepsi for me (I love caffeine and also WHY WAS THERE NO NORMAL PEPSI OPTION GAH) (Also this is another reminder that I need to pay serenaz26 tomorrow). I met up with AllenLi and GM, whom I hadn’t seen since district band auditions eighth grade. After some discussion, we tried to watch the Enloe Asian Student Association Showcase, but to no avail, because the audio sucked and the WiFi at Good Luck HS also sucked.

Finally, rehearsal began. I was next to someone I don’t know and someone who goes to Rich Kid School by the initials of LY. I also met SZhong, who complained about me not taking on a leadership position in Boy Scouts this semester. At first, I was pretty locked in and the music was really nice. We played Hymn for the Innocent (HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU LISTEN), which was dedicated to those innocent people who lost their lives to war, violence, or natural causes, as well as military members who died protecting those who were innocent.

Next up, we played Mount Everest (HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND). I really liked how this song described the trek up the mountain, as well as the different aspects of the mountain (snow on top, hiking up, etc) in a very John Williams-style piece. At this point, I was losing focus and getting a bit bored. I made some really dumb comments, like “My god this piece is impossible to sightread” (I didn’t practice ANY of the pieces before the clinic, a decision I half-regret), which prompted LY to laugh.

After a break and more Pepsi Zero Sugar chugging, I was back to playing the flute. We played Albanian Dances (This piece isn’t bad it wouldn’t hurt to listen to it). Since this piece was legitimately impossible to sightread because of the speed of the piece (a speed I overlooked while deciding not to practice the piece), I faked the majority of the piece, learning it bit by bit while rehearsing. My elbow started hurting during this (I have chronic elbow pain for some reason), and while I was trying to pop it back into place, LY was side-eyeing me really hard haha. The only dumb comment I made was when the conductor asked “What will you guys think about right before playing this piece? Think!” Since it was right before dinner, I muttered “Dinner,” which LY evidently heard and laughed at. This caused us to both enter late because we were laughing. Oops.

I talked to GM about her school, and how both of ours sucked. Regardless, we had a fun time talking to each other (GM, serenaz26, khhu, VL, and HD) and flipping water bottles, an act that got us many concerned looks. However, all good times came to an end, and I had to go back to rehearsal with my friends. At this point, all of the people who ate dinner with me were really done with rehearsal and didn’t want to go back. We trudged on, everyone really tired and gassed out. I decided to do something that I had done during TYS rehearsal, which was to write a word or phrase on a piece of paper. This was supposed to be only for flutes, but it made it down to the oboes and clarinets (literally the 20 people in our row all wrote down something/saw the paper). Eventually, near the end of rehearsal, we got the piece of paper back, but that was pretty fun. Also, the flute section did a “One-Word Story” thing where we passed a piece of paper down and up the row, creating a story that went like “The world is always hungry and on something. However, it consistently…” I forget the ending haha. I’m pretty sure LY was also really done because she was laughing at my comments, which almost nobody does. Also, it was so hard for me to pass my completed one-word addition because my band conductor was in the audience (he’s a simp for the clinician) and was staring in my direction most of the time, so I had to subtly give it to LY who would pass it once she had added her word and so on. But I swear if my band conductor wasn’t in the audience, the one-word story would have gone SO much smoother.

During rehearsal, we played through Elegy for a Young American (I RECOMMEND THIS FOR SURE). The piece starts out voicing a mourning country since JFK had just been assassinated, and then later begins telling the story. It begins the story bit with the car that JFK rides in coming down the street, and then slowly transforms into the assassination and then ends in mourning again.

After many hours of grueling rehearsal, it was all over, and we breathed a sigh of relief. Now, onto tomorrow, where we have not only rehearsal in the morning but a concert at night!

Day 2:
Upon arrival, I talked to YL and SZhong. I was even more tired than last night since I hadn’t gotten enough sleep, and I was lowkey dry in my conversations.

We were in the theater room today, so there was much less space (but thankfully no Enloe band director to watch my every move). The shenanigans began approximately 10 minutes into rehearsal. I gave the 2022 TYP Fourth Expert (Flute solo from Romeo and Juliet by Tchaikovsky), and she proceeded to draw on it, creating a chain of drawings on the excerpt. Next up, we had our own 2nd flute paper, where we talked and stuff. LY ended up asking what happened to my arm (I had taped it up because of the above-mentioned elbow pain), which I found surprising because has nobody seen KT tape before…?

After rehearsing everything in the morning, lunch arrived. I believe that I made a couple of snarky comments in the morning such as “You guys are doing such a great job understanding [Hymn for the Innocent]” (as stated above, it’s a pretty sad piece about remembrance of dead loved ones), to which I replied, “because we’re all depressed!” Funnily enough, this got a reaction from LY (I think we’re friends now! /hj? I have no idea how she views me) We also made fun of AngelaW in the morning and during lunch (I’m praying to god that she doesn’t see this) because she really likes to move while playing (as in moving around in circles while playing to show expression, which is frowned upon in the band world).

During lunch, GM had a whole thing where she rightfully didn’t want to go with 3 senior guys to lunch since she would be the only girl and that would have gotten awkward, so she signed up for Doordash and got a Chicken Sandwich from Chick-Fil-A, but she accidentally ordered from the farther one, creating a moment of panic because lunch was ending soon. Thankfully, the driver appeared with much time to spare, and GM invited him to our concert later that night, to which he responded with “I’ll look into it.” Honestly, I have mad respect for GM for being able to say things like that. I would have died of embarrassment and introversion and would have just shut down the idea.

After our group of people finished eating (GM, serenaz26, khhu, VL, HD, and I), we began exploring Good Luck HS since it was one of the very few times we’d actually been on the campus (if not the first for some). Wandering around halls and floors, we admired the art and showcases, as well as the modernity of the school. We went into the library and wrote down some sticky notes saying “Enloe is better” and “Sko Eags” (GM wrote down something about how her school was better than Good Luck HS). After we left, there was a group of No Hope (Green Dope) kids still in the library, and as we circled around the hallway, admiring the murals on the walls, the Good Luck HS band director came in and caught the No Hope kids inside the library, and reprimanded them. All of us in the group began smirking because had we not left 10 seconds earlier, we would have been a part of the No Hope kids, and gotten reprimanded. Rushing downstairs, we hung out in the lobby and just socialized with the Rich Kid School people (SZhong, LY, and AllenLi), and just had a fun time.

Then, we went back to rehearsal. Not much happened here, to be honest. I wrote a paper that contained “serenaz26 is a caffeine addict” 20 times (she is!), and a pineapple (serenaz26’s favorite logo/fruit/object). I also got SZhong to laugh really hard while he had a clarinet in his mouth, causing him to miss his entrance and probably also make an atrocious sound with his clarinet while laughing.

When I got home, I tried taking a nap (I didn’t sleep at all), and ate dinner (not much, since I had just eaten lunch 3 hours prior). Then, came the concert. We played really well (maybe I’ll include the link to the recording later), and I was on the verge of both going insane and falling asleep at the end of the concert because of the odyssey of a clinic that I had gone through. In all honesty, I have no idea how 8th-grade me got through 3 days of an All-State clinic since 10th grade I barely got through 2… I guess I’m getting… older?

District band gave me a realization. I’m not who I used to be. Have I deproved? Definitely not. Have I improved at the same rate as others? Definitely not. The grind never stops, but… does it? Regardless, I will never forget the memories that I made at the All-District band, from roaming Academy Sports to going into the Good Luck HS library and making “Enloe Eagles!” stickers.

As a little end to the horrifyingly long article (props to you, Turtle, for actually reading through all this, though I’m sure you definitely skimmed it. I don’t know who else reads my blog haha), I leave a quote that my conductor left me.

“When it seems impossible, that is where the magic begins.” When you’re out of your comfort zone, you begin to improve.

P.S. As a comparison from me as an 8th-grade flutist to now, I think Viva La Vida by Coldplay provides an accurate depiction.
“I used to rule the world. Seas would rise when I gave the word. Now, in the morning, I sleep alone and sweep the streets I used to own. And I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand.”

Meaning: I used to be good, but that was because my inability to be consistent was masked by video auditions, where I could record as many times as necessary. Now, the pillars have crumbled since COVID ended and in-person auditions are back in place. My once-castle has now crumbled and I am once again nothing and not noticeable at all. Also, I think the “I used to rule the world” is a bit untrue, because it was always serenaz26 ruling the world of flute.

P.P.S.
Sorry for continuing to extend this, but here's my list of songs played in order of how much I like them (with the first being like the most) because that must mean so much to you guys (sorry. my blog, so I make the rules)

1. Mount Everest
2. Hymn For The Innocent
3. Elegy For a Young American
4. Albanian Dances

I don't mean to say that I disliked any of them (though I sort of disliked Albanian dances), as I loved all the pieces (minus maybe Albanian Dances), so take it with a grain of salt (though most of ya'll probably didn't even read it anyways haha).