My name is Hailey Davis. I am an eighth grade student at Dobie Jr.High and I play the trombone. On September 8 the band had a playing test on the B scale. I personally have problems talking/playing up in front of a quiet class.

Even though I am an eighth grader, when I play in front of a class I still get really shaky and I start to overthink simple things.  Most of the time I do good but, when I overthink it I can mess up. The band would have a more accurate grade if we played it not in front of the whole class because some people can’t do their absolute best under pressure.

I walked into the band hall knowing I would have anxiety about playing in front of the whole class, but I didn’t think it would be that bad. One night beforehand I had practiced my instrument the trombone for almost two hours so I wouldn’t do bad and the B scale is super easy.

When it became closer and closer to my turn I started to get shaky and worried but I thought every thing would be fine. I started out off tempo but it was ok. As I went down the scale is when my trouble began I played F a first position note that is all the way at the top of the horn note in fifth position that is more towards the bottom of the horn and then I stopped playing for 5 seconds because I was completely mortified.

The band teacher told me to start from the middle of the scale and go down so I did and continued to do bad. It’s not just me that does bad under pressure, a lot of people in band don’t do as well as they could under other circumstances.