“We are Mustangs!” The cheerleaders cheered in their black and blue uniforms with their short skirts and pom poms, as the band watched in silence, prepared to play their next song on their instruments. From sounds small to big and high to low, each instrument is ready to make its special contribution with every valve button, buttons, and drumsticks. My instrument is the big vintage, silver instrument with its dings and dents and gigantic bell that makes sounds like a foghorn in a harbor. I think, “F, F, F, E natural,” as I fingered the notes into my instrument. Balancing the weight of my instrument’s bell makes the tip of my toes feel numb, but it is better than having over thirty pounds of thick heavy metal wedging into my shoulder while trying to play our school anthem. We get ready; “1, 2, 3, and 4!” Alex Couch said. She starts off the band and we play our great school song. “E, E, E for two beats…” I said in my head, as I play my large sousaphone while the students, parents, and others sing the school spirit song with hearts of joy. Their black and blue shirts blend into the posters and team jerseys. As the first pep rally of the year rolls close to the end, number 18, the captain and quarterback of the Varsity Football Mustangs ends it with a prayer of encouragement for all new and incoming Houston Christian High School families and members. The drummers stand to play a cool and exciting cadence, fast and loud as the band stands. We follow out the doors back to the band room to pack up and head home for the day. Tyler with his big sousaphone leads the way out for my row of two, which are just Tyler and I. We get back to the band room with tired lips and pack up to go home for some homework and hopefully if there is not to much homework there will be time for rest and relaxation. I look at my schedule to find how organized I was and noticed that I will get some R and R.