I played several different instruments and was drum major my senior year.

I also went to the Indiana State School Music Association Marching Band Finals, as a spectator.

In my four years of high school band, we never got to the dome. But they did the year after I graduated.

So I ask all members of the Northview Marching Knights to cherish the moment, whether you placed first or 10th.

Cherish it, because there are lots of bands out there that don’t get the opportunity you just did.

In the four years I participated in high school band, there was always the proverbial saying of, “wait ‘til next year.”

I never got a “next year.”

But a lot of my friends did.

I made lots of friends while in high school band. It was a great time.

I remember a lot of it, and yet some, I don’t.

Still, it was a good time in life.

When I came up as a freshman, we just got a new band director. Lucky for us (The Owen Valley Patriot Band And Guard) that band director had worked with Northview’s Bob Medworth.

Eric Berger had just taken the band director spot at Owen Valley that year. It was 1987 (stop making fun).

He turned a program around that for the previous three seasons, couldn’t even get out of District.

And yet, we made it to Regional that year.

We advanced to Regional each year while I participated, and -- if I remember correct -- were sixth at Regional my senior year, only one spot away from advancing to state finals.

I specifically remember not thinking too much about it on the bus trip home that Saturday. It was 1990 (again, stop making fun).

However, I saw several underclassmen with a stream of tears coming out of their eyes, including my drum major partner.

At that moment, only two things were going through my head: One, I had just completed four years of marching band, and two, I let my band director down.

I learned so much from him. I respected him. He had a passion for music, a passion for marching.

I had that same passion for music, but at a different level. As I grew older, I lost that passion for marching.

But now, several years later, every time marching season comes around, I can’t help but think it would have been really cool to march on the Astroturf of the RCA Dome (OK, it was the Hoosier Dome at the time).

It would have been pretty neat to step onto the field and take it all in.

I didn’t get that chance.

But the Marching Knights did, and it appears they always do.

So don’t take it for granted, either students or parents.

You never know what’s around the bend.