Its that time of year again!

Some love it, some hate it, but either way it is a necessary evil. This "rite of passage" is called band camp. For some strange reason, band directors seem to pick the hottest week of the year to hold it. What are they thinking?! Of course, I am only kidding. The work is very tough and demanding, but a successful camp really pays off later in the season.

I have put together a list of things that will make band members lives much easier at band camp. This is particularly true if this is your first band camp.

Things to bring:

1. Your equipment - music, horn, percussion equipment, or auxiliary equipment (if you play flag)
2. Comfy clothes - band camp is not the place to show off your new skin tight leather pants. Light colored natural fiber garments that are rather loose fitting are a good choice. They allow a wide range of motion and the light colors reflect the sunlight which should keep you cooler. Natural fibers, such as cotton, will absorb the seemingly endless supply of sweat you will be producing during camp.
3. Comfy shoes - You will be doing a lot of standing, in addition to marching at camp, so wear a pair of shoes that are well worn and feel good on your feet. I have seen some people that like to practice bare footed. I do not suggest you try this. You run the risk of cutting your feet or burning your soles on hot concrete or asphalt.
4. Head gear - Hats that not only cover your head, but also provide shade for your face, neck and ears are preferable. Band camp sunburns can be quite painful -- I am speaking from experience. It is a good idea to wear sunglasses too. Large doses of sunlight can be harmful to your eyes. Wear sunglasses that block out as much ultraviolet light as possible.
5. Sunscreen - Everyone needs to wear sunscreen. It doesn't matter if you are trying to get that killer tan or not, standing unprotected in direct sunlight for 10 or 12 hours is not good for your skin. Get a sunscreen with a high SPF value, then apply it liberally and often to all areas of your body that are exposed to sunlight. Often people forget to put sunscreen on the backs of their legs, their necks and earlobes. These parts will burn if not properly protected. Also purchase some sort of lip balm with sunscreen in it. Your lips can burn too, so be prepared. Here's a tip -- if you choose to wear sunglasses, you may want to invest in a tube of zinc oxide for your nose. Again, I am speaking from experience. Some sunglasses do a great job of reflecting harmful rays away from your eyes. The bad news is that the rays are reflected onto your nose. Sometimes basic sunscreen does not offer enough protection to keep the sun from charbroiling your nose. You may have to apply a thick layer of zinc oxide to your nose to protect it.
6. Insect repellent - Sometimes you may be practicing near a large community of bugs that not only like how marching bands sound, but also how they taste. Be prepared.
7. If you bring lunch everyday to camp, try to bring light foods like fruits and vegetables. Burgers and pizza taste great, but they tend to drag you down. Plus it is not a good idea to stuff yourself at meals. That tends to make you sluggish.
8. I cannot stress enough the importance of drinking caffeine-free beverages. In other words, drink lots of water and do it often. It is by far the best thing you can drink. The reason I say caffeine-free is that the chemical caffeine acts like a diuretic, which means it makes you have to use the restroom, outhouse or bush (whatever you have at your camp) more often. You can dehydrate pretty quickly in the hot southern Indiana sun.

What to expect:

The goal of band camp is not only to learn drill, but it is also to condition band members and get them physically prepared for the season to come. The typical camp consists of the following elements -- marching basics, sectionals, ensemble, drill

1. Marching basics are very dull, very boring, but very necessary. For a band to perform their show well, it is critical that every band member not only march in step, but also march the same style. Every band has a preferred style of what is called marching and maneuvering. Primarily this includes foot placement, posture, and equipment carriage. There are many less noticeable, but very important concepts to learn: how to maintain equal distant spacing front-to-back and side-to-side; how to subtly fix marching mistakes during a show without looking like that is what you are trying to do; how to march backwards; how to use peripheral vision to help you march better; and the list goes on and on. For a band to have a strong show from a visual standpoint, it is necessary that all of the members to understand and be able to master as many of the basics as possible.
2. Sectionals are practices held in small groups of like instruments or equipment. This allows for greater individual attention by the instructor. Typically sectional practices focus on music for the playing members and routine for the guard.
3. Ensemble practice is when the entire band gets together to work on music and guard work as a group, but there is no marching involved. Usually ensemble practice will involve the winds standing in a concert arc with the percussion and guard either in front or behind them. The goal is to get the different elements of the band used to performing together.
4. Drill practice involves working on the field show either on a football field or a surface that simulates the football field in terms of size, yard lines, side lines, hash marks, etc. Drill may or may not involve using equipment. Generally speaking, equipment is not needed when learning drill or perfecting drill (the marching band term for this is cleaning). Later in the season, it is common for marching and music to be combined in every drill practice.

I always enjoyed band camp because it was an opportunity for me to be with friends and meet new ones. My band had mini-contests between the different sections during band camp as sort of a way to build camaraderie and teamwork between sections. For example, on breaks we would create designs using our instruments or guard equipment. The winning section would get to take an extra 5 or 10 minutes during lunch. Also the different sections would have a "march off" at the end of the week. This tested the various sections' marching ability. The winning section would get the bragging rights as being the best marching section in the band.

Here's some stuff that your directors probably don't want me to tell you, but it is a lot of fun and a great way finish up band camp. We used to do this when I was in band. Raffle off chances on the opportunity to hit selected persons in the face with pies. Usually the persons on the list were the directors, instructors and band officers. For each person on the list, have a pot were persons can place tickets with their name, which are drawn at the end of the band camp. To save money on the pies, we used paper plates covered with a thick layer of Cool Whip. Schedule a time at the end of camp when everyone can get together and watch the fun. I have witnessed this event several times and it always was one of the highlights of camp.

Finally, band camp is tough, hard work, but after your marching days are over, I think you will look back at it and have fond memories of your experiences. I hope you all have a great camp and very successful season! Most importantly, don't forget to have fun.