Why My Band Experience Should Help Your Engineering Department:

Through my 8 years of college and high school, I was a part of two of the greatest organizations I could ever hope to be associated with: The Rochester High School Falcon Marching Band and the Michigan Marching Band. These two ensembles shaped me as an individual and a professional, and the values that I learned will always be a vital part of who I am as an engineer. 

The Michigan Marching Band performs the 'cake' formation in pregame

First of all, these ensembles reinforced discipline and responsibility. One band member being out of step or playing the wrong note can ruin an entire performance. Thus, it is vital that all members of the ensemble spend time outside of rehearsal practicing and memorizing music and drill. It also means attending every rehearsal and performance, be it at 4 in the afternoon or 6 in the morning. Engineering requires a similar discipline, from regularly attending meetings to doing your individual part of a massive project. 

Secondly, these ensembles display a vast amount of collaboration and teamwork. The optimal performance of both drill and music requires all band members to watch and listen to each other so that adjustments can be made on the fly if necessary, because nothing ever goes perfectly when put into practice. Nothing ever goes perfectly in engineering projects either, so a similar willingness to adjust and troubleshoot is needed in the industry as well. 

Third of all, strong leadership is needed at all levels for the ensembles to succeed, from teaching new members to march properly to perfecting their musical performance to keeping the group focused on the task at hand. I served in a prominent leadership role as a section leader in the Falcon Marching Band my senior year, and served as a mentor to the underclassmen in my last couple years in the Michigan Marching Band. Engineering requires strong leadership at the top as well in order to get anything productive accomplished. 

Myself sitting in the bleachers as a member of the Falcon Marching Band

Finally, both ensembles, especially the MMB, worked under a strict deadline to get shows ready and had to manage time wisely to allow for completion of other schoolwork. Time management and working under a deadline are prominent components of the engineering industry. 

Thanks to my time in the FMB and MMB, I have acquired some essential skills that will make me a very successful engineer. 

The MMB Alto section before the 2012 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, LA