Should I quit band next year?

YoungScholar45
Tue, 24 Mar 2015 20:13:38 +0000

Hello all,
At the risk of sounding like a typical CC-er, I wanted some advice on a class for next year (band, obviously). Here’s my story. I started trumpet in 4th grade, and I’m currently in 10th. I’ve gotten pretty good (I’m third chair in the 2nd best band of 4 in my 4800-person school, I got a gold at a state competition). I was unsure earlier on this year about the whole thing, so I decided to try upping my practice to an hour a day to see if ability level is what was making it not so much fun for me. I improved quite a bit, to the point where when I auditioned for next year, I made the top Wind Ensemble. I also really liked the pep band games, which were all pretty fun (I have one really good friend who I managed to hang out with).

That said, now trumpet (and band) is starting to feel more like a burden than something fun. I really don’t like practicing (the way I do guitar or even piano), plus trumpet isn’t something you can really ever stop worrying about (if you go a week without practicing, the first few days back are going to SUCK). I’m afraid that this will only get worse next year, as I’ve heard that the top ensemble is really quite intense. In addition, I’ve got a lot of other stuff going on. I also dabble in piano and classical guitar, languages, and writing, and I’ve had to push the languages and writing to the side to make space for trumpet (it’s an extra hour a day, which is really a lot), and quite frankly, it’s pretty exhausting to try and do it all. Lastly (and I’d say most importantly), trumpet doesn’t speak to me the way the other instruments do – piano for its beauty, and guitar for its versatility and relaxed flair (listen to Asturias and you’ll know what I mean). Trumpet just doesn’t do it for me.

Now why stay with it next year? Well, I’ve already gotten in the ensemble, and part of me would feel bad for quitting after I’ve got in (I mean, there’s so many other trumpets who would kill for my place). Plus, I have a few friends in band (although only one really good one), so it would be weird to lose that social aspect. As I said before, I also really liked the pep band games. There’s also the college question – would it look bad to quit after two years? My academic schedule is tough this year, and it’ll only be heavier next year (AP Capstone Seminar, APUSH, AP Calc, German 4 IB, AP Chem, AP Comp Sci, SRT (required study hall), and Band OR Music Theory), plus I’m hispanic (Iberian), I volunteer at an elementary school 2 hrs a week and I do all the aforementioned stuff, but I still worry. It’s not getting into Harvard that I’m so much worried about – I’d really like to get out of my state, and I can’t do that if I don’t get a scholarship, so I don’t to be closing any doors in that department. I also feel like it’d be a shame to lose all that time put into trumpet, but if I don’t like it…

I’m sorry for this wall of text, but I just wanted to get it all out there. What do you all think?
Thanks a bunch!