Adjust to the Situation

by Katie Brink

Chi - ΤΒΣ Ohio State University

Every year, shortly after announcing who’s made the cut for The Ohio State University Marching Band, our director shows a video of one of our band’s signature pregame Ramp entrances from the late 1990s. The entrance seems to be off to a great start as the band files in from the North endzone, marking time to the cadences of the drumline until the drum major struts out with his whistle. A seemingly flawless execution suddenly goes awry, as half of the band begins the transition into our school fight song, while the other half of the band remains marking time and begins their transition 8 counts later. Once the first section of the band takes off down the field, an accordion effect follows suit, and after a few measures, the whole ensemble has finally recovered to end the fight song in unison. This video is always shown to reinforce the necessity of “adjusting to the situation.” It didn’t matter who was on-time or who was late, who missed the whistle, whose fault it was, or who missed their dot; all that mattered was that the band found their way back together as quickly as possible. This idea of adjusting to the situation is core not just to the OSUMB, but to the human experience as a whole.

Every music student learns to make adjustments in rehearsal under the direction of a conductor as they rise to the occasion of learning harder pieces, mastering new techniques, expanding their range, experimenting with different genres and styles, pushing their body to its physical limits, and testing their mental endurance throughout long rehearsals and performances. By constantly striving for improvement, we build the skills of resilience which are applicable not just to our musical endeavors, but also to our personal selves.

Resilience is a vital skill when coping with uncertainty or unexpected obstacles, regardless of how big or small the circumstance.

We find ourselves now in an era of high uncertainty and unpredictability. Life, on the whole, is pretty hard right now for all of us; however, we, as Sisters and Brothers, and as seasoned “band kids,” have been practicing our resilience skills for our whole lives and have risen to the occasion. Never has this been more evident to me than during my terms as North Central District President - the culmination of my journey as a Sister thus far.

I joined Tau Beta Sigma in December of 2015 during a rather dark period in my personal life, and my Sisters quickly became the foundation upon which I built my resilience. They became my strongest support network and provided safe opportunities for me to test myself with new responsibilities and positions of leadership. With my Sisters, I’ve shared so many joys, from appreciating the accomplishments of our band program or our chapter, to celebrating the successes and milestones of each of my Sisters; I’ve also shared many sorrows, from surviving a campus terrorist attack to supporting each other through personal crises and navigating periods of intense sociopolitical unrest. My time with my Sisters has always felt sacred.

So what does that mean when suddenly, we can’t share a space with our Sisters anymore?

From my standpoint as the 20192021 North Central District President, I’ve had a unique experience to say the least. I was elected in 2019 when everything was still “normal” - our Chapters were accomplishing bolder and more meaningful service than ever before, we were setting records for participation in National Programs, and we were ontrack to have one of our best years as a District. That is, until COVID-19 derailed our plans. Our convention, which had been in the planning process for nearly a whole year, was suddenly shifted to a Zoom conference. My college graduation was cancelled. Sisters and bandmates had to cancel their weddings, grieve the loss of loved ones, support each other in the fight for racial justice, navigate major life changes, and cope with all of the curve balls being thrown our way.

Despite the challenges we’ve all faced over the past year, I’ve watched my Sisters devise innovative solutions to continue serving the bands in a meaningful way. They’ve executed exciting new service projects, coordinated social events for their bandmates, and perhaps most importantly, they’ve kept their Sisterhood at the forefront of their operations.

One key revelation which I’ve learned from my District this year is that resilience takes different forms. Sometimes, resilience requires us to be persistent - we continue to practice our instruments despite band being cancelled, we continue to hold chapter meetings virtually despite not being able to meet in person, we continue to initiate new members despite having fewer opportunities for in-person recruitment. Other times, resilience requires us to redefine our metrics of success - we aim for quality over quantity when enacting service projects or recruiting new membership, we dedicate more time to growing our Bond instead of overloading ourselves with business, we establish a new approach to sponsor/DOB relationships. Watching my Sisters “adjust to the situation” throughout this period of uncertainty, and seeing them embrace the opportunity to serve with fortitude and courage, has made my terms as President more meaningful than I could have imagined.

“With my Sisters, I am Best”