Being a senior in band feels strange, since this isn’t my first time being in this situation. I knew I was going to join band before I got to Cornell, since I had marched all through high school. But I didn’t know how much fun I would have in the Big Red Marching Band, or how it would come to define my college experience. When I walked up to the band room for auditions in August 2016, I was honestly a bit intimidated. There were so many people I didn’t know, and everyone was overwhelmingly friendly for a shy little freshman like me. But I decided to stick with it through First Night and beyond, and that was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my time at Cornell. Joining band, and specifically the sax section (the best section in the only real band in the Ivy League), gave me my first community at Cornell, and getting to know upperclassmen was especially helpful for me as I navigated my first few semesters.
The band has gone through a lot of changes in my time at Cornell, and sometimes it’s been hard to watch certain traditions fade away to make room for a new culture. Despite my nostalgia for the way the band used to be, I believe that these changes are truly for the best, and I’m excited to see where the band goes once I leave. What has most impressed me is that, amidst the external pressure for us to move in a different direction, the band internally has stayed intact. Above all, we want to preserve the organization that has given us each so much, and we want to make it as fun and inclusive as we can.
I’ve had (almost) four incredible years with the Big Red Marching Band, and I wouldn’t have wanted to live my Cornell experience any other way. It will be hard to see the band go on without me and my fellow seniors, but it will be equally satisfying to come back as an alum and see it flourish under new leadership. I can’t wait to wear my alumni sweater with pride!
Katie Sadoff ~20