HIGH SCHOOLERS Band nerds: They've got it together

If dedication and discipline make someone a nerd, what's wrong with that?
By ELAINE WANG
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
This story was going to be called, & quot;10 reasons band members aren't nerds. & quot;
But one day not too long ago, I watched a high school marching band practice and stumbled upon an enlightening truth: They are nerds. So I decided to change my tune, so to speak.
Here they are, the top 10 reasons band members are nerds.
Band members ...
10. ... are timely. Go visit any band practice, and you'll see that, & quot;Practice begins at 3:30 p.m. & quot; really means, & quot;You'd better be out at the practice area by 3:25. & quot;
9. ... uphold tradition. Twenty-five years of top honors doesn't mean, & quot;Hey, we have a good enough record to rest on our laurels. & quot; It means, & quot;Hey, you have two options: to live up to this, or to do even better. & quot;
8. ... are disciplined. & quot;Shut up during rehearsals. The director is a god, obey him. Don't even think about being late or coming unprepared. & quot;
7. ... have awesome brain power. Band members have more than 300 measures of music to memorize. That's like trying to memorize 300 lines of Virgil's "Aeneid." In Latin. Perfectly. While not breathing.
6. ... get (somewhat) good grades. Because of eligibility rules, members of the band clan cannot participate in contests if they are failing. Yes, the tribe has spoken.
Top 5
5. ... wear big fluffy feathers on their heads and don't seem to care. Do I actually need to explain this one?
4. ... practice ballet. I kid you not. While observing this marching band, I learned that they do five to 10 minutes of ballet exercises each practice.
3. ... go the extra mile. Who in the world voluntarily gives up all of their Fridays and about a month of Saturdays along with two class periods to practice?
2. ... are determined. Only determination gets them up at 8 a.m. during the summer to go to band practice for four hours, and only determination gets them through the two-hour band rehearsals after school that run almost every day.
And the No. 1 reason band members really are nerds?
... They have dedication. The heat index is 105 degrees. The black asphalt -- which has been slowly soaking up all the sun's rays during the day -- is radiating it back up at the practicing band. There are two more hours left of this torturous practice. When the director tells them to run it back to the beginning, what do they do? They cheer!
Yes, marching band is the epitome of nerdy, you know, because it's cool not to care, not to work hard, not to be civil, not to be on time and not to be persistent. Hmmm ... Hey, & quot;band nerds, & quot; I think I'll join your ranks.
XElaine Wang is a high school junior who writes for the Fort Worth STar-Telegram.