Band is a group of musicians playing together to create one cohesive sound. There are a lot of ways that people get introduced to band, this is how it happened for Thalia Ruiz (11).

“It was in elementary school when I first started playing clarinet. When we were trying instruments, and I felt like I was really good at it from the get go. I liked how it was able to play high and low notes.” Ruiz said.

The clarinet was invented in Germany around the late 1690s. To think that an instrument can last this long to make it into the hands of little Thalia must have been fate. Now, nothing can come between her and the beautiful sounds of her clarinet. Thalia plays clarinet in Burke marching band, which she finds an important part of being herself.

“I absolutely love it because the environment is such a comfortable space that fosters creativity. There is so much joy being in this group because we can joke around with each other, but we can also play music together and it’s a great way to express our similarities. One of my favorite memories was from my freshman year of marching band. I didn’t know how I was going to march and memorize my music at the same time. Being helped by the student leaders and gaining the ability to march, I doubted myself at the start, but I found out I could actually do it. It was a revelation for me,” Ruiz commented.

Band is a very important part of why Thalia is Thalia. Without marching band her freshman year in high school Ruiz may not have been as outgoing and outspoken as she is now. Band has clearly helped who Ruiz is as a person and solidified her stance on playing clarinet and being in band in general.

“I was very overwhelmed. I mean, I was pretty good in middle school, but I didn’t want to be