“My band director, who was a mentor to me and to so many others had three philosophies for the entire band program…be coachable; understand that the band was bigger than the individual; and to be a self-starter. We took those things to heart.
Fast forward four years later, and I’m in the Marine Corps – where coaching is part of the Marine Corps’ leadership philosophy. The Marine Corps is definitely bigger than the individual; the needs of the unit come before the individual, and being a self-starter… there’s always something to do – but your Corporal isn’t always going to be there; your OIC (officer in charge) isn’t always going to be there to tell you what needs to be done. It’s on the individual to step up to the plate.
The trademark saying in the band is ‘we’re only going to do it one more time…’there’s 50 ‘one more times’. That work ethic – to always drive and keep going – that really got to me in the Marine Corps. I never would have imagined that intrinsically-driven motivation was rooted in music. That’s definitely something I’ll keep for the future.”
-Lance Cpl. Jared Reifel, intelligence analyst, Houston, Texas