I played trumpet, baritone, and tuba from elementary through high school. Learning how to play well was a grind for years and I didn't really start to enjoy it until I reached high school and was a part of a good ensemble.

It's definitely not fun when you and everyone around you is bad. Having a horrible teacher for a few years along the way didn't help either and drove most of my classmates to quit.

I do miss it and part of me wishes I had continued in college because I would have really enjoyed the challenge. But I was tired of "band cliques" and wanted to move on.