Ordinary Experience vs. "An" Experience

 Ordinary Experience

    An ordinary experience is something that is a part of our mundane everyday life. In these ordinary experiences, participants are just going through the motions and not fully engaged in the activity they are doing. It is easy to become complacent in these experiences and not get a truly fulfilling learning experience. 

"An" Experience

    "An" experience is something that is truly different from the everyday routine. "An" experience has the potential to be transformative and completely change the way someone learns. This can be extremely useful to someone that is struggling with their current way of learning. 

"An" Example

    One example of "an" experience that I've had the fortune of going through is High School Band Day. Western Michigan University Bronco Marching Band hosts an event every year called "High School Band Day". This is an event where any high school can send their students to participate in the halftime marching band show with the college marching band. As a high schooler, this was truly a transformative experience for me. It was so much more than just the routine of the daily high school practice and football game. 

 It showed young high-schooler me how much more marching band can be. I eventually ended up attending Western Michigan University and becoming a member of the drumline there. Funny enough, I'm actually now employed by Western Michigan University to be an instructor to that very same drumline that young high-schooler me looked up to so much. I truly believe that that High School Band Day transformed that pathway that I was on in terms of my music career.