My BACK!!!!

So, I'm in the band at school. I play the saxophone. But, not just any saxophone... I play the baritone saxophone. And, just to remind you, I am a 108 lb, 17 year old girl, and the average bari sax is about 15-20 pounds and a little over three feet tall. I like to think of it as a tuba hanging around my neck. And if you play a bari sax everyday three times a day for an hour or two at a time, there can be some tension and pain in the neck and back. Our school does this talent showcase where all of the arts, theater, band, dance, choir, and art, make one big 2 hour variety show together. Did I mention it is Saturday night? Well, our band is usually rushing to get everything together, so we are having early rehearsals, lunch rehearsals, and three hour evening rehearsals this entire week. My back feels like I've been punched and kicked over and over again then stretched out and squished back together. Not cool. I had to walk around like the Hunchback of Notre Dame after rehearsal. I think I can just sleep it off after I put ice on it... hopefully.


We call this talent showcase Artist's Garden. Not sure why, but whatever.


During the course of the night, the theatre kids introduce the acts (usually the best part because they are always funny) and do their own acts too, the choir sings a few songs, the dance team dances for literally more than half of the show, and the band plays some concert music, some jazz and whatever else. The band at our school are the unappreciated misfits who never ever feel appreciated and we usually never are appreciated. I've been in our band since 5th grade and never left it. We usually just play a few little songs that goes with that years theme (this year is "Back to Broadway," they call it "Back to" because they run out of ideas, and this year is a repeat) plus a percussion piece using unconventional instruments. The band is always scrambling the week of the performance to at least have music to play, and we are cutting it close this year, and I mean close. And the percussion piece is an added stress, because I don't play drums, but I'm still in the song. My freshman year it was with balloons, my sophomore year it was in a classroom with pens, desks, and trash cans, my junior year it was with pots and pans, and this year, my senior year, we are playing with brooms(the link is not us). This song is surprisingly hard, probably just because I am a non-drummer, but still. I, of course, am the one using the biggest and heaviest broom, but don't you worry, I'll be fine.

Hopefully, by Saturday, my back will feel better, the band will sound betterplay through our music.