"This one time, at band camp...."
If you've been to band camp, you know the struggles, quirks, and annoyances. Band camp is nothing like the iconic films depicted it. It's probably ten times better. Although not every school goes away to a band camp, the ones that do experience a unique journey throughout high school and college, and it's not one many can understand. Only those who attended band camp understand how amazing and awful it is, and why we do it in the first place.
1. "This one time, at band camp" isn't FUNNY.
Oh my GOD if one more person says this to you, you'll probably karate chop them with your instrument and trip them with your flag. No, you're not the first person to say this to me. No, it's not original. Yes, my laugh is a polite laugh.
But it's totally okay if you and your band friends say it to each other. THEN it's funny.
2. You know "one more time" NEVER means one more time.
It's hot. You're sweaty and tired. You just went through a few sets and you NAILED it. But apparently everyone else didn't because the band director screams "ONE MORE TIME!" so you trudge back to your spot, run it again, and don't even groan when again the band director tells you to run it one more time because that's how it always is and always will be.
3. You've mastered the art of ignoring the oppressing heat around you.
As the freshman begin to drop like flies around you, you're hardly bothered by the fact that your face is literally melting. And so is your instrument. The tops of your hands and feet are so burned you're getting blisters, but you barely even notice. You're too busy walking back to your spot for what the band director PROMISED was the last time.
4. You hear a metronome in your sleep.
It's the end of the day and your band director has FINALLY let you go so you can go back to your cabin and pass out. You change out of your sweaty clothes into the most comfortable pair of pajamas ever, you beg your bunk mates to go to sleep, and then you close your eyes and sink into dreamland.
Only to hear the steady "dink, dink, dink, dink" in your dreams. It's haunting you. It disguises itself in your dream so you can't find the source, and then you have to wake up and hear it again.
5. You give death glares to the instructors.
Although you have sweat running down your back, you're still standing there, in the heat, holding up a heavy instrument. And they're on the sidelines, standing (or sitting) in the shade, watching you and yelling out commands to let you know you still aren't doing it right. What right do they have to be comfortable? Who gave them the right to yell at you?
Yet, when they do come around and help (which is actually quite often), you can't help but joke around with them and laugh with them because they're actually pretty awesome.
6. Free time is a GIFT.
And anyone who messes with that free time isn't going to like you very much. You EARNED this free time. Your feet are burning and you probably had a heat stroke at some point. You earned the right to do whatever you want. Including lying on the bed staring at the ceiling because being off your feet feels So. Good.
7. You get to know your section VERY well.
Between marching time and sectionals, you're with these people almost 24/7 for an entire week. You're yelling at each other to get in line, keep the formation, stay in step, etc. You're harmonizing and memorizing music. And when you're just STANDING there, you're laughing and joking around with each other. You find yourself liking these people and wanting to hang out with them. Your section pride goes through the roof because you guys are literally the best.
8. You find yourself becoming sad that the week is ending.
Even though you've spent the last week with no internet access, sweaty...everything, and sleeping in a room with 12 other people, you know you love it. While you're standing in your spot, you're talking and laughing. You make memories. You develop traditions. You get to spend an entire week with some of your best friends and it's awesome! Even though everyone around you is complaining and you join in, you know when the parents come to pick everyone up, the magic of the week dissipates, and you begin planning for the next year.
9. You cry when you leave as a senior.
Freshman year, you had the nasty cabin no one wanted. You made so many mistakes and cried about them with your friends. But you learned, and made so many memories that will stick with you long past graduation. Five years from now, as a band kid, your only high school memories are from band class and band camp. Mostly band camp. You still remember the layout, the way the cabins smelled, that one time it rained so hard during practice you couldn't see. And when you pack everything up, excited to go home, you realize as you sit in your parent's car, that this was it. This was your LAST band camp. So you turn around and watch the camp fade from view, and seriously, you cry. A lot. Maybe for longer than five minutes.
10. You gain a family.
Not every section gets along all the time. Not every person in every section gets along. But it's a big dysfunctional family. You're all there for a reason. You celebrate and mourn together. You look out for each other- band nerds stick together. You suffer through the heat, cold, rain, and wind together. You all celebrate when you win a competition or get the crowds cheering for you. You may not know the name of every single person in the band, but you think back on them with fondness. You love your little weird family.
It's impossible to explain to someone who has never experienced it just how special band camp is. It's a weird thing you put yourself through every summer, and might even return to as an instructor some day. Some people might ask why you love it so much, even though all they hear is you complaining. You'll just smile, shake your head, and begin a story with "this one time, at band camp...."
