This is a weird prompt. I don’t wear makeup so that’s off the table. Really, the first thing I could come up with was something I and other French horn players refer to as “the red ring of death”, a.k.a. when you play for a really long time and there’s red marks on your face from where you’ve had your mouth pressed to the mouthpiece. I’ve been getting the red ring of death a lot recently because it’s GSO concert weekend! What is GSO you ask? Why, it’s Gamer Symphony Orchestra! This semester, I auditioned for and got into my university’s GSO, and it’s been the most rewarding musical experience I’ve had in a while. I continue to play my instrument because I love music, but a big part of the band experience for me has always been the people. Band was what got me through high school, if I’m being honest. It gave me friends in every grade level and every walk of life, people to look up to, and people who looked up to me. I was welcomed into the band room with open arms and warm smiles from day one of my freshman year of high school. I continue to play because I love meeting band people, but this semester, I got a different experience. I love everyone in the GSO; it’s a fun, eclectic, high-energy group of people. But that’s not the only thing about them. Everyone in GSO is dedicated to being the best they can be. It’s a completely student-run organization, so everyone is there because they want to be, not because they get credit or are filling a resume. So, when we pick songs, we go all out. We had one concert today and we have another tomorrow (tune in at 12:30EST on Twitch here if you’d like!), and when the final chord of our first song rang out in the concert hall, I couldn’t help but smile. I had pushed myself! This was some hard music, and I loved it so I pushed myself to be better! I worked so hard, we all did, and it paid off handsomely. I realized just how rewarding this had been.
So, there’s me getting a little prematurely sentimental about my first semester in GSO. Thanks for reading! See you tomorrow for… eggs?
Adventures in Adulting 