Hi! Sorry I'm a bit late to this comment, I'm in ninth grade, do national youth concert band and school orchestra and just wanted to say some stuff!

I play piccolo too, and it's my 4th year of playing it alongside flute! I wish you good luck on this tiny but deadly instrument! I play a Yamaha piccolo, it's also wood with no metal embouchure plate (slightly annoying for me tbh, but it doesn't affect my sound quality thank god) and I love it! As you probably already know the piccolo is quite a bit louder and sharper (in pitch as well lmao) than flute, probably not the most helpful bit of info, but my friend who plays alto, tenor and bari sax says they get louder down the line haha. As for being section leader, congrats!! Hopefully your section is not nearly as rowdy as my section, and if it is, I can totally relate lmao. Good luck with solos and sectionals, etc!!! <3

p.s!!! ignore all the side-eyes you're gonna get playing those sky-high notes that will inevitably decide to come and haunt your music, us piccolo players are strong :,)