The Titanic Band That Played On Writing Assignment (Essay Sample)

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The Titanic Band That Played On
The sinking of the Titanic on 18th April 1912 is one of the worst sea disasters the world has ever witnessed. The accident killed over 1500 people on board including the crew and passengers. The ship was off to the US from England as the most anticipated journey across the Atlantic. When the disaster happened, a band of 8 musicians was at the First Class lounge entertaining the passengers. Panic engulfed everyone in the deck and confusion rented the air upon the realization that the ship was sinking. The band remain composed and played on to calm the environment and even went to the second chamber to continue playing the music as it looked apparent they were perishing. The leader of the group was the famous English musician Wallace Hartley who stood firm with the group even in challenging times where they faced death. He countered the popular stereotype of self-centeredness in near death situations and sacrificed his life for his principles.
The relentless progress of the band despite the situation depicted a unique sense of humaneness and composure of the band. It challenges the common stereotypic behavior of every man for himself at the time of death. The band went beyond the human calling as the past research of the band suggests that they were not employees of the ship White Star Line but instead of a Liverpool music agency who were being paid for their services by the ship. The ideal reaction to the band since they were not responsible for steering the ship was to find ways of saving their lives including the use of lifeboats that came to rescue in the disaster. The band was determined in difficult times and placed the comfort and consolation of other people beforehand. The band members depicted different qualities that challenged the notion that human beings scramble for their own safety in death facing situations.
Leadership
The leader of the group was Wallace Hartley; he was from a small town of Colne in Lancashire England. He had a history of being raised in a Methodist Church and his father was the choirmaster. The violinist was a highly principled Christian who was cheerful and personable according to his fiancée Maria Robinson. He led the band to continue playing despite the nerve wreaking situation they were facing; the act is contrary to the popular stereotype of self-centeredness in dire situations. He strongly believed in the power of music to stop a disorder and held music as the biggest weapon on earth according to John Carr who had previously worked with him. He truly held on his believe to the end and convincing the group to follow his principle. The self- centeredness stereotype have culminated to the leadership of the world today where leaders are more concerned about their well-being than of the people they are leading. Hartley depicted principled leadership qualities no matter the situation he was facing.
Benevolence
The band showed a true sense of benevolence by putting their lives at the expense of calming the situation at hand. They were determined to challenge the course of humanity by being steadfast and strong in their quest to keep the passengers calm. They went to the extent of shifting to the next chamber and were able to keep their composure in place and continue playing the music. However, there is a debate on the song they last played before the ship totally submerged. None of the band members survived to tell the story but their band leader Wallace had earlier indicated in a past newspaper int...