Bloomington High School North, Nikean, 1998, Page 102

Description:	by, Erick GjerdingenIt was a Friday, late in February. Tears rolled down my eyes, andmy cheeks ached with pain as cold wind froze my skin. But I washaving a good time, and I was laughing too hard. I was on a ski liftwith fellow senior B.J. Cord, when I kept recalling the wipe-outs wehad just had on the second easiest hill of Schweitzer Mountain inSand Point, Idaho. I had built up speed to a point where I decided Ino longer had the ability to turn. Fearing death, I decided I shouldthrow myself on the ground and hope I lived. As I flew past juniorJoe Padawan, I screamed, Im going to die!I am good friends with so many members of the band. Myexperiences in Idaho reminded me what being a musical group is allabout. Its more than just playing the notes on the page, its playingtogether. And not only is it playing at the same time, but its listeningto each other. Thats why no group plays together better than a groupof friends.In Moscow, Idaho, I realized that my four years were coming toan end, and yet I had accomplished what I had wanted to accomplishin my music at North. Every year the loss of seniors leads people tobelieve this is the last year the band will be good, but that is nevertrue. The band certainly wont be the same, but thats because eachband develops its own personality, its own style, its own chemistry.All of my friends had come together to make great music. From thesoloist winners, B.J. Cord and Nick Provenzale (vocalist and altosax), to the members of the combo who won, to the people liketrombonist Jordan Reed, who never is a star but has a knack formaking us all laugh (which is perhaps even greater), the jazz band ismenagerie of North students who can work together in making thewhole greater than the sum of its parts. And Im very glad to be a partof it.102
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomnorth/id/4322
Collection:	Bloomington High School North

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