“Reset. Come on guys pull that string. Band-ten- hut,” Mr. Crochet, the band director, blares over us on the black top.

It’s 5:45 p.m. and we’ve still got 30 minutes of rehearsal left. There is a collective sigh across the field coming from all the heat-stricken band kids, we’re all ready to go home, even though when we go home we all know we will end up on that field again tomorrow. And then the day after that, and so on.

The unfair reality of band is that while it is a barrel of fun, it’s also time consuming and takes a lot of personal push to get yourself through it. I love band, but I hate it sometimes. It is frustrating and it can be even painful and definitely stressful. The directors like you to be at your personal best 24/7, and man is that unfair. But not really.

Though while we, the kids, go through “so much” the directors go through so much more. When I’m getting frustrated with Mr. Crochet or Ms. Brown I’ve got to stop myself and think that everything they ever say to me is for me,  no matter what kind of advice I’m getting from them, whether it is to square my shoulders or to get good grades.

All the band kids get frustrated with them occasionally when really they have more the reason to be frustrated with us for our lack of concern and care sometimes. Because while we are giving it maybe 50 percent every now and then, they are there on the field giving nothing less than 100 percent, all the time.

I really appreciate my directors and even when I’m in that mood where band is just upsetting me, I always walk away feeling that pride and love for my band and the people in it.