The Worst Mistake I'd Ever Made

Oh….this is probably the worst experience I've ever had in band….here we go, it’s confession time… last week I lost my music folder.

I’m not saying I lost it and I had to sing to get it back, oh no, I’m saying that nobody could find it. My only option then would have been to pay for some of the missing music and probably copy some of it down from the score since I rarely ever share parts with anyone. And believe me when I say that there was A LOT of music in that folder.

Anyways, let’s go back in time a bit. We had a band event, I remember playing it, putting it down in the green room, and taking it up from the green room when it was over. The next day, I want to practice and it was missing! Naturally, I started to freak out.

We looked high and low. We tried calling the venue where out event had been, but no luck. We tried asking everyone and anyone who might’ve had any clue about what went on after the event. I tried to go back in my memory to see what I could find, but everything was fuzzy. I sort of remembered bringing it in the house, but then I started to seriously doubt myself. Next thing I knew I only sort of remembered bringing it out to car. At this point I was so stressed out that I didn't know what was true! For all I knew, my music was out there blowing around in the wind somewhere, alone and lost!!!!

The next day was Monday. I went to school trying to hope that somebody knew where it was. But I had heard nothing. I had to share music the rest of the day. Expecting the worst, I asked my band director for some of the scores, so I could start copying down my music.  I had been in for a lot of work, but at least I had a plan for now which was calming.

Two days later, I had just finished copying down one of the longer charts, when my mother got a call. It was the venue, and they had found my music!!!!!! Overjoyed and relieved it didn't matter how much time I’d spent worrying and copying down music now, all that mattered was that my baby was safe and sound and that we would soon be reunited:)

So if you’re reading this, band geeks, do yourself a humongous favor and learn from my mistake. Keep track of your music!!! Put a rubber band around your wrist, write it down on your hand that you need to remember it, or even duct tape it to yourself!!!!!!! ‘Cause take it from me, nothing is worth going though that lost-music-related-anxiety!!!!!!!

-R