More Than What You Hear

This is just a little thought I would like to share with you.
I have often heard from mentors and even friends that music is the universal language. With my music background I laugh and respond by saying, "Other people speak treble clef?" It never has truly hit home what it really meant until I heard stories from friends and read some things on Tumblr. As of late I was shown a video of a drum corps (I do not recall the group but I will update once I find it) during a final rehearsal where they had the "age-outs", performers that have reached the cut off age, go to the center of the group as tradition. Each performer gave a few last words through tears and once it reached the last one in line he took a bit more time to share what the program meant to him. He spoke of how he'd be kicking and crying not wanting to go home because of the people he met through his journey and how it has helped him push forward. Personally when I thought I couldn't feel anymore emotional over this small video he turned to the girl beside him and spoke how he was such a shy boy when he was younger. He got down on one knee and proposed to her.

At this point I was a mess, but of course who wouldn't be!? Along with the video were comments from users with the basic message of, "This is for those who say music doesn't do anything for you!" Watching the video and seeing how without being part of the program that young man may have never gained the confidence, friends and support to do what he did and capture the heart of his sweetheart really had me thinking lately; music was what had brought them together. Music was how they were able to speak to each other. If it could do that much for them, what has it done for others? Not just marching band or performing art-wise but throughout our culture. I posed these 3 questions on my other social sites and allowed a small time period for submissions to see from the perspective of others.
-what does music mean to you?
-how big of a role has it played in your life?
-do you believe it makes a difference?

I know what it means to me. I know how major an impact it has had in my life and how it molded me to who I am today, but what about others? How is it for the people who have never touched a stage? What does it mean to the faces we recognize as simply our audience, our fans? You may tell me your views in a comment below.

About the Author

Hello, hello

My name is Daphne Garcia. I am not new to the blogging world but  I am no expert at its "proper etiquette". I have a personal blog that I have been running for almost 4 years now with a following of 746 people which I am very proud of. I am from southern California and really culture shocked since my move to Topeka.  I am the oldest in my family, the first to graduate high school and attend a university.   am often found in my dorm or the library with hot chocolate, a thick book and my laptop running.  I love being social with people all over the world and seeing things from their perspective.  This is a small part of me in a nutshell.   (:

And we tap off into a world filled with highs and lows that may have a following just as passionate as NFL fans if not more.

I'll be covering the rather unknown world of marching band from the spectator, instructor and performer's side. The pursuit of music does not stop for some after high school or college. Though we all claim that we can not function without music to some people it is their passion. They do not sing, they do not rap. They spend hours on hours in the blistering summer sun or bracing the cold winter air simply to get the stamina to perform an 8-12 minute show in a football stadium to family, friends and fans. It is more than just a class in high school. It is more than just credit hours in college. It is more than a hobby. I'm here to give you an inside look to their world and share their experiences: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

To kick off the upcoming season, here is one of the most well known performances (and my personal favorite) by one of only 2 all male marching ensembles in Drum Corps International:

Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps
2010 Mad World