With marching band season right around the corner for most, here's a quick rundown of ways to begin prepping for it!

1. Locate your dinkles.
2. Locate your instrument. It’s in your closet somewhere, I know it is.
3. Familiarize yourself with your music now, if you have it. As your band director has probably stated in the past, rehearsal isn’t really about learning the music. It’s about running it. The more familiar you are with the pieces beforehand, the smoother rehearsals can go, resulting in better performances overall.
4. Yes, this means you will need to practice outside of rehearsal. Start thinking about ways to accomplish this one now, rather than squeezing in practice time 10 minutes before a performance.
5. Stock up on at least one gallon’s worth of sunscreen.
6. Consider getting back into shape. You probably won’t actually follow through, but at least consider it. It’s the thought that counts here.
7. Think about what you personally want to accomplish as a musician.
8. Think about the overall goals of the band as a whole.
9. Mash em together.
10. Invest in a water jug. Not a bottle-- a jug. Please do not die from dehydration, the band can barely afford much as is.
11. Contact your old section friends to complain about the upcoming season/previous season/band camp/etc. There’s probably a lot to talk about and catch up on.
12. ...accept that you’ll never actually be prepared for your marching band season. But that’s okay. You’ll be surrounded by people who aren’t, making for some amusing stories down the road. Just make sure you try a little bit...if only a little bit.