As a freshman, I watched my confidence take shape through discipline, perseverance, teamwork and a little bit of music.

July 1, 2025, marked the first day of the marching band season. The next four and a half months would turn out to be a whirlwind. With the 2024-25 school year ending just five days earlier, the grind of the new season had already begun.

We started slowly, with once-a-week practices lasting three hours. Rookie members were introduced to the rhythm of the program, while veteran members, ‘vets’, slipped back into the groove. We began with the basics: crisp marching technique, tall posture, and the early layers of our show music. Slowly, our new ensemble sound and dynamics were taking shape. Then came one of the most anticipated parts of the season: band camp. We packed our bags and headed to Camp Bernie in northern New Jersey. For six days, we lived among the wildlife in cabins along with our respective instruments and our fellow band members. We woke up sore and exhausted, marched underneath the blazing sun, our voices strained from counting. From sunrise to sunset, we worked on learning songs and music, testing our limits physically and mentally. Those days were exhausting, but we grew unbreakable bonds with our peers, sacrificing sleep for everlasting memories.

By the time we came home, we were no longer 79 different people marching next to one another; we were a unified ensemble, bonded by exhaustion, shared motivations and goals, and trust that can only come through experiences like this. A few weeks later, we had our first performance of Coven, a show focused on a girl who wanted to become part of a group of witches, incorporating classical and modern music to tell the story. The program featured selections including “Danse Macabre” (Camille Saint-Saëns), “The End” (My Chemical Romance), “The Way” (Fastball), “Abracadabra” (Lady Gaga), and “Die With a Smile” (Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga). Soon it was time for the first football game of the season, the moment we had worked all summer to reach. In the stands, we played pep music and cheered for the football team, but halftime mattered most to us. That first performance set the tone for the rest of the season, with its confidence and promise of growth.

Soon after came the home show, where we hosted dozens of bands from our sister school JP Stevens to East Brunswick High School, and performed to an audience that came just to watch us for the first time. Though we were not judged and scored, the energy of our performance on home turf made it one of the strongest, earlier-season runs.

We fell into a routine through after-school practices on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, football games on Friday, and competitions on Saturday. Through every practice, we worked hard to make this season one to remember. We cleaned sets, added visuals, and reworked music. Each passing week was spent in anticipation of the upcoming weekend. Every competition was marked by preparation and anticipation of the most important one yet to come.

We were approaching the weekend of November 1, which was four months from the end of the season and the start of our state performances. Our season until then had been full of ups and downs. Going into that weekend, we were excited to show the rest of the state the hard work we had put in over the course of the season. After the performances, no matter the placement, we knew we put our best product out there. We ended up placing third and second in two respective state competitions. Then, the weekend after was Nationals. Our last performance as the 2025 Edison High School Marching Band—the final performance with the seniors. Standing on the turf of MetLife Stadium was a feeling like no other. We were respected enough to have the opportunity to perform on that field. I realized how far we had come from those first July rehearsals when we made it onto one of the biggest stages we could ever imagine. After that performance, we shed a few tears. We earned a bronze medal. Although it was an incredible season, the most important part wasn’t the win; it was the friendships we created, the laughs we had, and the memories we made.

When I joined the marching band, I had no expectations or any idea of the program. I’d seen videos of the EHS Marching Band and saw the presence that the group holds when they are out on that field, but I never believed that I could truly become a part of a community, that community. From the second I stepped through those band room doors, I was greeted by 78 other smiling faces, all introducing themselves to me. In those moments, I realized that I wasn’t just joining an extracurricular; I was joining a welcoming community. People I had never met before were treating me like I had been there for years, like I belonged there.

I quickly learned that playing my instrument and marching were just the beginning. Marching Band was about the people. Those people are the only reason I wanted to wake up in the morning after long days at school and late nights of homework. They were the ones who made me laugh during water breaks. The ones who stood next to me during exhausting practices and never failed to ask if I was okay, even if they weren’t so well off themselves. They turned into my makeshift older siblings. The saxophone section, with six juniors and five freshmen, became my built-in support system. From day one, the juniors taught us freshmen everything we needed to know and answered every late-night text when we realized we didn’t understand something.

I have learned so much from this experience. Being part of this marching band has taught me discipline at a pivotal time in my life: showing up, staying focused, and perseverance when things get tough. Real perseverance is more of a mental battle than anything else. I learned the value of teamwork: We only succeed when we all work together and help each other grow. Winning and losing were to be done with humility. No celebrations in front of others, and always act with grace towards those who beat us. Most of all, this experience taught me to care for others on a deeper level.

I consider myself lucky to be a part of the Edison High School Band program. Not everyone gets to experience such a close-knit, family-like community. In only five months, this program has caused me to grow an immeasurable amount, pushing me beyond my comfort zone, not just as a musician but also as a person.

Coven is a show that will play on in my mind for the rest of my life; it represents my first season of finding connection and confidence in a place where I truly belong.