Legendary
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Most of us can recall a feeling post-performance, with adrenaline coursing through the veins, feeling the most tired but simultaneously feeling the most alive, and then just as you catch your breath, the rush to push props off the field. My name is Grace Halula, and I spent four unforgettable years as a part of the Tarpon Springs Outdoor Performance Ensemble. After sorting out props, I remember always rushing to find my dear friend Andrea, who I spent most of my time with both in and out of rehearsals in my upperclassman years. Despite being younger than me, she’d always be doing my hair, and she’d always be my bus-buddy and roommate. We shared every part of that experience together in the time we had, the sweat, the tears, and the Saturday night dinners.
As my time as a performer ended, I grew to appreciate the marching arts from another perspective, as I would return as a tech for a summer post-graduation and now occasionally pop in and out to be supportive where I can. This attachment to the marching arts probably wouldn’t exist without the connections like Andrea I’ve been blessed to make. Last year, I got to go to BOA Orlando and watch her, and the rest of the section, and musicians I spent years with play and move beautifully. Getting to see her after performances and feeling so much joy and pride in watching her continue to grow is an irreplaceable feeling, fostering a sense of nostalgia and further pride for the people, the program, and the art.
The people I’ve gotten to meet through marching band continue to be a massive presence in my life, whether inside or outside of the organization I was able to be a part of. Whether it be those who have taught and connected with me or the people I’ve gotten to teach and help grow, it has forever impacted my heart because of how wonderful our connection is, if not through camaraderie, then through shared passion and time.
I will always have memories of alumni visiting and traveling for BOA and the seniors above me graduating every year; it’s a gift to have created those bonds and memories, and to give that experience to those younger than me. Though it’s their time and no longer mine, and even after those I have direct connections with’s time passes, I still come around to watch these, as it fills me with pride to watch the people and the art I have grown so fond of thrive and “throw down.” No program is perfect, no doubt, but the memories made, the bonds forged, and the time spent create a place in my heart for the marching arts beyond performance. I’m there in the stands and writing this piece because I’ve kept the marching arts close to my heart in different ways. The transition from a performer on the field to a spectator in the stands is an experience I’m grateful to experience.
Looking to the future, though my time as a performer is over, my involvement in the marching arts won’t be. I’m looking forward to continuing this connection by coming back as a contributor through journalism rather than a performer, all with the same enthusiasm.
Grace Halula is currently studying Communications and has worked in Social Media Marketing. As an alumnus of the Tarpon Springs Outdoor Performance Ensemble, she has been involved with the program as an instructor and volunteer and keeps her musical skills in shape performing with her university’s symphony orchestra. When she isn’t writing or doing band, she enjoys cooking and baking.
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