My skinny white legs inspired me to join Band...

Ok story time!

I'm sure my story is very similar to many people in terms of why people end up in Band.  If it is similar, I certainly have an interesting twist!

So, just like a lot of people, I joined Band in High School mostly because I didn't want to do PE.  Since I wasn't doing any sports, I was going down that path and I was terrified of the prospect of doing PE (my reasoning for being scared will be revealed in a bit)!  In retrospect, thank goodness my friends were already in Drumline and they encouraged me to join even though we were already in the 1st or 2nd week since school started for my freshman year.

But I wasn't sure how I could join.  As I mentioned, it was the 1st or 2nd week of school, I didn't know how to play any music instruments and just a few days earlier, I was making fun of my friends for being in "BAAAAAAND!"  Then my friends said, "just play Cymbals!"  To which I replied, "WTH, like those monkey toys? No thanks!"  Then they said, "if you join band, you don't have to do P.E. anymore!"

"Ok I'm going to see my Counselor and sign up right now," I replied.

So why was I so eager at the prospect of not having to do P.E.?

Well, you see, because I had not worn a pair of shorts for about a year or so, I was scared of my pale white legs.  As a shy skinny Asian kid, my skinny legs were embarrassing enough for me, but now you gotta add in the fact that they were pretty pale after not seeing the Sun for a few months.  I had to avoid showing them off to kids I didn't know at all costs...so once the opportunity presented itself, I took it.

Kinda interesting how things turned out!

On one hand, for the last few years, I have no such insecurities whatsoever in regards to my physical appearance.

On the other hand, had I not given in to some silly insecurity that filled my head with fear of being judged, physical self loathing, and preservation of pride, I never would've joined band, I never would've marched independent groups, I never would've taught and I never would've been karldrumtech.

So now what's your story? How did you end up in "BAAAAAAND?"