With Guard, Percussion, and Band Camp starting this week, it is important for both parents and students to be adequately prepared. Below is a Band Camp Survival Guide which can help you not only get through it all, but enjoy it more.
Timberwolf Pride
Band Camp Survival Guide
What Is Band Camp?
Band Camp, held at White Knoll High School, consists of 2 weeks of rehearsals prior to school starting that gets us ready for the fall marching season. The camp consists of teaching the basics about marching, movement, terminology, techniques, learning music, drill, and conditioning. Throughout Band Camp, working together as a group will help to build camaraderie and strengthen the sense of family within the band.
When Is It?
The dates for our 2014 Band Camp are listed below. We will rehearse Monday-Friday for two weeks:
July 21st – July 25th Guard & Percussion 8am – 6pm Guard & Percussion
Camp
July 24th – July 25th Rookie Camp 8am – 12pm for all new members
July 28th – August 1st Full Band Camp 8am – 6pm All Band and Guard
Lunch 12pm–1:15pm
August 4th – August 8th Full Band Camp 8am – 6pm All Band and Guard
Lunch 12pm-1:15pm
August 11th Full MB Rehearsal 4pm – 8pm All Band and Guard
August 12th Full MB Rehearsal 4pm – 8pm All Band and Guard
August 14th Full MB Rehearsal 4pm – 8pm All Band and Guard
August 16th Full MB Rehearsal 8am – 4pm All Band and Guard
August 16th Premier Show & 6pm All Band, Parents,
Cookout! Family, & friends!
***For safety and liability reasons, students are not permitted to leave campus during band camp hours. This includes lunch time.
What Should I Expect?
Expect to work and to work really hard. Expect it to be hot. Expect a suntan or sunburn, with tan lines from your clothes, socks and sunglasses. Expect to be sore and tired. Expect to learn more in the two weeks of Band Camp than you have in your last year of middle or high school. Expect to have fun working together and building team spirit. Expect to have lots of fun, meet a lot of new people, make new lifelong friends, make memories, and grow as musicians. Band camp is really hard work, but you will find that working hard and then seeing the results of that hard work is something you will be really proud of. Remember, excellence is not just for sometime, excellence is for ALL the time – and it starts at Band Camp! You are only as good as you THINK you can be and WANT to be!
What Do I Need to Bring & Wear?
- All equipment (instrument, reeds, valve oil, mouthpieces, sticks, mallets, music, folder,
pencil, gloves, flags, etc.) in working order - Water/Sports drink and jug (NO soda/sugary drinks or energy drinks)
- Athletic sneakers and socks (no flip flops, sandals, etc). Proper footwear is essential for marching!
- Sunscreen, hat, chapstick, and towel
- Light-colored, loose fitting clothing. NO Jeans, long pants, or dark-colored clothes! This is for your health and safety. Color Guard has their own required rehearsal clothing.
- 3-ring binder with sheet protectors, pencils and erasers
- Any medications/inhalers you may need throughout the day
Instrument Rental
Students who do not own their own instrument or will be playing a school owned marching instrument will need to rent one from the school. Instruments can be issued prior to Band Camp and require a district Instrument Rental Agreement form to be signed by the student, parent, and director. The rental fee is $20. Students are responsible for the upkeep of the instrument, and will held responsible for any damage that may incur.
Band Camp Tips for Success
Hydration: Please start to thoroughly hydrate a couple of days before band camp. Avoid caffeine and carbonated drinks that will dehydrate you. Water is best. Bring a reusable water bottle or water jug with your name on it to camp every day and be sure to drink at all water breaks during the week. Water will be available to you to refill your jugs every day of rehearsal. However, it is required that everyone have their own personal jug! This will ensure that everyone always has enough water and allows us to have quicker and more frequent water breaks. Drink lots of water before, during and after practice all week! Remember: hydration = happiness!
Eat and Drink with Health in Mind: Be sure to eat a healthy breakfast every day before you come to band camp! DON’T eat/drink heavy milk products. DON’T load up on caffeine, greasy foods, fast food, carbonated drinks, candy or sweets, and dairy. DO eat fruit (especially bananas – contain slow acting carbs, and helps prevent muscle cramps!), an energy bar, toast with peanut butter, nuts, etc. NOTE: Students will not be permitted to leave campus during lunch breaks, unless their parent signs them out with a chaperone.
Show Up – On Time: Band camp is mandatory. You will need to arrange family vacations, doctor’s visits, jobs, family time or other obligations at a time other than during band camp. You must attend ALL rehearsals with no interruptions. You are responsible for being on time – not because of traffic, oversleeping, car trouble, etc. Rehearsals START at the times listed and last until the time listed, they are not ‘arrive at’ or ‘get home at’ times. Plan on staying an extra 15 minutes after rehearsal ends to help put equipment away, clean up, etc. We will learn our music and get a large part of our drill on the field. If one person is missing, the entire band needs to review what was missed when you come back; it slows everyone down.
Behave & Be Respectful: You are a young adult, so you are expected to behave with a level of maturity expected of high school students. The Director, Drum Majors, instructors and other leaders are there for your benefit and to make you the best possible, and if you work really hard they will take note. Behaving appropriately and respectfully is expected of you and helps to get things done more quickly and effectively. Behaving gets things done also results in more breaks! Respect the directors, staff, leadership, upper classmen and parent chaperones that are helping and always say, “Thank you!”
Keep Cool: Physically and mentally, it is important that you ‘keep cool.’ Make sure you are not overheating (water, water, water) and also keep a calm mind. Not getting something the first time? Getting angry or frustrated about it will not make it easier. Keep trying and listen graciously to advice and you will eventually get it. We are here to help each other. Nobody is expecting you to be perfect right at the start – otherwise there would be no need for rehearsal. So, don’t beat yourself up if you’re not perfect, but always work hard and strive to be as perfect as you can be!
Follow these steps and you will
have a successful Band Camp!