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In his article, “The Moral Ends of Band”, Allsup saetts, “More than many school organizations, band brings together a cross-section of the student body, a collective of young individuals each of whom are charged in the co-creation of a larger musical goal.” I absolutely agree with this statement. Without a doubt my high school band seemed to be its own mini-society. We came together for the purpose of being part of a band. Many of us had different intentions. Some wanted first chair and the trumpet solo in the opening of Fortress. (Ok, it was me, and that solo was glorious. And first chair got the horse whinny on Sleigh Ride at the Holiday Concert. That is an honor.) Others were content to just up. Some didn’t show up at all. It seemed that everyone had their role in our band society. Later in his article, Allsup asks, “Does the historic framework of teacher-directed, concert-as-curriculum, advocacy-based band education estrange young players from communities outside school?” I found myself reacting with several of my own questions. Is the purpose of band to create a community or is it about the music? How would a band program of a different framework prepare students for the real world where status and structure is very real? And is the band mini-society I mentioned above a direct result of being a member of the band? Or could it be the time we spent together?I would argue that there is room for both, and that they exist simultaneously. While the main goals of the program I participated in at Northville High School were musical in nature, I learned so much more than music. And I think it was due to the amount of time we spent together. We had summer band camp, Homecoming float building, all of the home and away football games, bus rides to festivals, evening rehearsals, and concerts. As a member of the Symphonic Band I was also required to be in the Marching Band. An optional jazz ensemble met after school. We had Solo and Ensemble, banquets, summer concerts at the Montreaux Detroit Jazz Festival, and mock elections. It was more than that, though. The band was truly its own civilization. We went to Homecoming with each other, hung out on the weekends together, and sat together and the band table at lunch. All of this socialization happened because we spent time together. And, due to what I believe was a genius instructor that knew when to take control and when to turn the other way, we also were able to play really well and have great successes at festivals and competitions.