Stress Isn't Bad?

Sorry, for not writing in awhile, but since no one reads this anyway, I figured you wouldn't mind. So, according to my Health teacher, stress isn't bad nor is it good. The EFFECTS of stress are both good and bad. I tend to disagree. Stress is currently eating me alive. Right now, it seems like my life is a downward spiral. I'm living day by day and living each one to it's fullest. Of course, this is a very dramatized statement. Aren't I allowed to add a little MORE drama to my life? While I'm not sure that's the brightest nor the best idea, the use of exaggeration is fun regardless.
Right now my stress comes in three major sources: Schoolwork, Band, and Science Fair. Schoolwork is self explanatory I suppose. Band is fun, but basically rules my life. So, I have a hard time finding a proper balance between stressors one and two. The third will leave soon. As soon as I can write my paper and make a stupid pretty display board, a weight will be lifted from my shoulders. Until then, :-(
One thing I'm currently stressing over now is Wind Ensemble. Wind Ensemble is the highest "level" I guess you could say of bands in our band program at CCHS. I and two other trumpet players from the freshman band were asked to audition to be in the Wind Ensemble. A major reason for this is for the Music For All (BOA) trip to Indianapolis in March. So, basically, if we can't afford to go to this trip, there is no point in trying out at all. As it is, students who can't go to BOA are being cut from the Wind Ensemble (good players too!). I wouldn't mind going to BOA, but I'm not like going to die if I don't go. It's a fairly long (few days) trip and I would be missing school. But, this is besides the point. I have talked to my parents and they would be okay with me going on this trip. Our director had given us a piece to play through for auditioning a month ago and said he'd give us a few weeks to try and learn it. I'm an auditory learner, so, in order to learn it, I need to hear it. However, yes, I am a little bit afraid of our director. It's not my fault he's kind of scary!!!!!! :-( So, I couldn't get the recording from him due to a pure lack of chutzpah. But, my competition was narrowed down when one of the other two trumpet players said she couldn't audition because her parents wouldn't let her go on the trip. So, I'm feeling okay about it. But, the director didn't mention anything about it for awhile, so I was hoping he'd give us awhile longer. Then, it happened this past Friday (Halloweed). Another thing is, to be in Wind Ensemble, you have to be in the Marching Band (which is co-curricular). I, with my love of music, am in the Marching Band. So, we had a football game to play at this past Friday. So, dinner was at 4:30 and we had until 5:30 to be ready for inspection. So, I had finished my dinner and was talking to some friends in the band room when the other trumpet player who was trying out (let's call him Steve (NOT HIS REAL NAME)) came past with the band captain saying that the director needed to see us. I got a bad feeling in my stomach. What else could possibly involve only me and Steve? So, we get to his office where he says, "I need you to play for me." Me, being totally nervous blurts, "Now?" His response: "Sometime before inspection." Well, that had me feeling good, NOT! I didn't even have the piece with me. He had a copy he let us use, but that did not ease my stomach. We left for the hall to warm up. He gave us a specific section to work on which I felt fairly confident with. It was all good. It did look like we might miss inspection though. Three of the four Wind Ensemble Upperclassmen came out to warm up with us. Well, actually, two of the four. The third was late and didn't know he was supposed to leave inspection. So, we're warming up with everyone freaking out around us because inspection was to start. We were in the hall and you could hear us from the band room. What was kind of odd was when the command was called in the band room for band ten-hut and we kept playing. We knew the command didn't apply to us, but it was kind of creepy seeing everyone staring at us through the window on the door. So, we turned the corner with our music to avoid the continually glaring eyes. The audtion went okay. It went as follows. The director picked sections from the piece. He has all of us (the Wind Ensemble members, me, and "Steve")play through it together a few times. Then he had them play with Steve, then with me. Admittedly, neither of us sounded terribly amazing. But, it was okay since we didn't really prepare all that much. I think we sounded mutually average. Steve thinks I played better than him, but I'm not so sure. Why is this related to stress? Simply because I haven't found out who made it yet! It's purely maddening and I just want to know already. I mean, I won't die if I didn't make it, I just want to know. Also, word spreads fast in band and everyone keeps asking me if I made it; to which I reply with an annoyed, "I don't know yet!"
The point is, life is stressful, and mine is sure filled with a heck of a lot of it. However, life's good for now, and I'm highly optimistic I'll survive it. :-)