25 years ago today, I was living out a dream ending to my tenure in the University of Wisconsin Marching Band.
The day started with marching in the Tournament of Roses 🌹 Parade. They estimate that almost a million people turn out each year to watch the parade. It was a great experience although we were not a “parade” marching band. We were looking forward to the Rose Bowl later that day for our performances on the field!
The game featured the Wisconsin Badgers led by NCAA rushing record holder, Ron Dayne against the PAC 10 Champion Stanford Cardinal.
It was our second Rose Bowl in a row cheering on the football 🏈 team and entertaining the huge crowds of Badger fans led by our legendary director, Mike Leckrone.
Check out Mike’s book here: Moments of Happiness: A Wisconsin Band Story
I was amped up to perform well alongside the rest of the tuba section “Rhinos,” as we called ourselves because we carried around big horns, and the rest of the band.
Our pregame and halftime performances went really well. We practiced all year long and combined with a healthy level of nerves, put on one of our best performances of the year; a stark contrast to the style of the Stanford Band and their tree mascots.
As the clock ran out with the Wisconsin Badgers winning back to back Rose Bowls, we performed our final 5th Quarter celebration, leaving the stadium 🏟️ elated and tired after a long day!
This is when I was greeted by my family - Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and my sister Megan who all made the trip to Pasadena. And while I was saying goodbye to my tenure in the marching band, lifelong friendships were cemented through these shared experiences.
While I was just 21 years old, just starting to understand what it was like to be an adult, I was learning about what I valued most, what motivated me and my natural talents that combined with knowledge and skill through daily habits, practice, and learning could turn into strengths that could be applied to almost anything in life.
I still can’t believe this was 25 years ago, since I can still close my eyes and bring me right back to the day…not to mention pictures and video that captured the experience! Time flies when you are learning in the flow of life!
Learn In The Flow Of Life
Jason
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