Westfield Big Red Band
Program Benefits
Why Choose Band?
Family
The Westfield High School Big Red Band offers a distinct community and family atmosphere where members can rely on one another. Like any family, there will be highs and lows, but the band provides its members with a particular group of students who will support them through thick and thin. For younger members, there are plenty of older peers to learn from who have gone through similar experiences. The more senior members will have the opportunity to cultivate their leadership abilities and pay it forward by helping others in the same way they were once allowed.
Camaraderie In Making Music
Though hard work is involved, Big Red Band members and staff enjoy one another’s company while making music and sharing their talents with the community, parents, and alums. The primary aim is to entertain and share great music in various contexts, such as playing stand tunes to motivate the football team and the crowd, performing high-energy competitive shows at halftime, playing jazz and percussion ensembles, lightening the mood with pops music at concerts, or performing sophisticated literature through the concert bands. While striving to achieve at the highest level, the band also finds great joy in their art.
Self-Confidence
The Big Red Band allows members to thrive as part of a team that strives for excellence. With over 150 students, each member is integral to a larger collective. We celebrate our triumphs and persevere through challenges together, allowing each member to take pride in contributing to the group. Being a part of the Big Red Band also serves as a model of excellence that can bolster confidence in other areas of a member’s life. The discipline and precise planning required for success in the band can be applied to other activities or classes, empowering band members to tackle new challenges with purpose and direction.
Commitment
Band instills the valuable skill of discipline and follow-through. This includes fulfilling commitments and promises to oneself and the team, such as adhering to a practice schedule and taking responsibility for completing assigned tasks. By persevering through difficult moments, band members learn the importance of determination and dedication, which can be applied to other areas of their lives outside of music. Learning to see tasks through to completion is a lesson that will benefit band members well beyond their time in the music classroom.
Conflict Resolution
As a team of over 150 members, conflicts will inevitably arise within the band. Such conflicts are also common in personal and professional relationships. Learning how to navigate and work through these challenges is an invaluable opportunity that comes with being part of a large team. Big Red Band members do not just learn about conflict resolution, but they get to practice these skills throughout their season. They will gain important coping mechanisms in terms of learning how to deal with their emotions productively and resolve disputes as they arise.
Resilience
Despite giving our best efforts, life can sometimes be unfair and unpleasant. In band, learning how to cope with disappointments and developing coping mechanisms is integral to the experience. Not every competition will end in our favor, and members won’t always nail every chair test, despite putting in their best efforts. Sometimes, despite putting their all into something, things may still not work out. Through the band experience, Big Red Band members will learn how to bounce back from these setbacks, and these coping skills will prove valuable long after they hang up their band uniforms.
Embracing Personal Excellence Over Winning
No matter how skilled you are, there is often someone more experienced. In today’s competitive world, many strive to reach the top. Learning how to cope with not consistently winning and not always being the best is essential. Band competitions, such as marching band and chair tests, allow band members to learn that striving for personal excellence is a more important objective than being first. While it’s great to win, achieving personal goals can be just as satisfying. Learning how to handle disappointment teaches that not winning doesn’t have to be the end of the world. We can celebrate other people’s achievements as we want them to celebrate ours.
Patience
Achieving excellence in any skill, whether playing a sport or an instrument or getting good grades in school, requires dedicated study, focused practice, and commitment, which cannot be achieved through shortcuts or instant gratification. Big Red Band members learn the value of patience, perseverance, and dedication through the pursuit of excellence in music. Although the road to excellence may have its bumps, music provides a beautiful outlet that can be enjoyed at all levels. Developing patience will benefit students in future jobs and pursuits, and the saying “slow and steady wins the race” holds.
Character & Independence
Employees’ punctuality and discipline are highly valued in the real world. Employers expect their workers to fulfill their job responsibilities with dedication and reliability, regardless of obstacles. The workplace can be challenging with its pressures and distractions, and employees who demonstrate exceptional performance are rewarded. At the same time, those who underperform may be demoted or replaced. While some students are naturally self-motivated, many benefit from the structure and discipline instilled by being a part of the Big Red Band. Through its emphasis on real-world expectations, the band serves as a miniature training ground for students to develop character and independence.
Time Management
Band members involved in various activities, advanced classes, and top bands often achieve the highest grades. However, high school experiences differ for each student. Balancing schoolwork and band commitments is a skill that prepares students for adult responsibilities, such as managing a job, paying bills, and spending quality time with family. Though they are still teenagers, developing their balancing skills will aid them in college, where they must be independent. Many college students struggle to manage their workload and experience burnout, so the Big Red Band is an excellent tool to help students overcome these challenges. It teaches them how to manage their time effectively and what they can accomplish daily.
Reward
Experiencing a sense of joy and satisfaction can be achieved by accomplishing individual or team goals. Band members can celebrate their victories at various levels, whether surpassing a problematic measure of music, achieving a personal goal once thought impossible, or feeling the excitement of a team victory.
Sometimes, the most significant rewards come from learning from failures, gaining strength through perseverance, and realizing that every new day offers a fresh start to achieving one’s goals. As students mature, they value these rewards even more and learn to cherish the fruits of their hard work as they transition into college and the real world.
Get In Touch
Please do not hesitate to arrange a face-to-face meeting or email our Head Band Director, Mr. Falcon, whenever you can.
