(This story is borrowed from ActiveDayton.com)

By Pamela Ferris-Olson
For the Dayton Daily News
Thursday, October 31, 2002

CENTERVILLE--Marching band requires a lot of time and dedication and for many students, high school graduation is a time to hang up their instruments and move on to new things.

One Centerville High School marching band veteran, however, selected to redouble his commitment and has been chosen to be a member of Ohio State's band.

This fall, Jonathan Anderson, a freshman at Ohio State University, is playing the mellophone with the Buckeye's brass and percussion band.

Anderson, who played the alto and tenor saxophone with Centerville's band, was told that it was extremely unlikely that he, as a freshman, would make the university's marching band.

"I have learned that the real success is not just in being chosen for the band, but in the experiences and fraternity of a group like this.

"Before college I merely thought that the most important thing was the completion of the goals themselves. Now, I see a bigger picture and understand that self-motivation is about the quality of life that I want for myself," Anderson said.

After four years of competing in Centerville's band, which included numerous performances at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Anderson was surprised at how exciting he found his first performance with OSU's band.

"I had to focus to keep my thoughts from wondering what 105,000 people would sound like from the field. I'm not sure which was racing faster, my heartbeat or my legs, trying to keep pace with my bolting pattern of movement.

"One of life's greatest moments hit me then. As I stood in front of tens of thousands of people, I realized that I had finally earned my status as an Ohio State marching band member," Anderson said.

Copyright © 2002, Cox Ohio Publishing. All rights reserved.