From the piano to percussion, senior Layla Seefried has been influenced by band since a young age. Ever since she was a child, she has been playing some sort of instrument. She started by playing the piano then transitioned into playing percussion instruments in middle school. 

“I grew up playing piano because my mom made me do it and then in seventh grade I started band at the middle school and I played [the] french horn, but I kind of got bullied out of it, so I started doing percussion instead and ever since then in middle school I’ve been doing it,” Seefried said.

After playing percussion in middle school, she continued playing throughout high school in both marching band and concert band. 

“I’m in the percussion section, so in marching band I play marching snare and then in concert band I play just about anything in the percussion section that they need me to play,” Seefried said. 

Out of the instruments she plays for band, she prefers the marching snare since she gets to lead the section whenever the band performs. 

“I would say my favorite instrument is definitely the marching snare partly because I get to be drum captain in the setting where I’m playing marching snare, so it’s just really fun, it’s a good environment and I’ve always just really enjoyed it. I used to play next to my brother on the drumline so it’s been fun,” Seefried said. 

Being in band has helped Seefried become the person she is today.

“I wouldn’t say just being in band defines who I am, but because I’ve been in it for so long the things I’ve learned and [the] skillsets I’ve developed definitely define me a bit now,” Seefried said. 

Someone who she looks up to is her drum captain from freshman year since she would always help out the people in band. 

“When I was a freshman, my drum captain was Samantha Little and she was a senior, she did Newsstreak and track and swim and everything and I always thought she was the coolest person ever and she was like a mother, just a big sister that did everything for us, so she’s someone I’ve always looked up to,” Seefried said. 

Although Seefried enjoys being in band, she doesn’t think she would make it her career especially if she doesn’t attend James Madison University (JMU). 

“[I would make playing] more of a hobby, I don’t plan on doing a career with it or anything. If I went to JMU, I think I’d like to continue in the band program, but I don’t think I want to go to JMU and I wouldn’t really want to do band anywhere else so [I probably won’t play after high school],” Seefried said. 

A challenge that Seefried faces while being in band is the time commitment to be able to attend practices and performances leaving her days revolving around everything band. 

“The time commitment [for band] is insane, it’s just 24/7 band stuff, during the fall, my weekdays and my weekends are all taken up with band, which kind of sucks, but I love the people surrounding me in band, so it’s not that bad because I have all my friends there,” Seefried said. 

Something else Seefried has to deal with in band is the drumline this year. She sometimes has a hard time keeping them under control to make sure they can do their best. 

“This year specifically, we’ve had a very rowdy drumline, and it’s been very hard to keep everyone under control and keep everyone in harmony and unison because we haven’t gotten along, but we’re working on it and it’s gotten slightly better as the season [has] gone on,” Seefried said.  

Despite these challenges, Seefried enjoys the impact she gets to have on the other people in band. 

“I love the impact I get to have on the underclassmen, it’s really fun having all my people that I get to teach how to do everything and support them throughout the process, it’s just been really fun [to be a part of],” Seefried said.