To the person who laughed when I mentioned band camp—

I shouldn’t be mad at you for laughing because you don’t know any better. You’ve seen the movies and heard the rumors. Those giggles are not only signs of immaturity, but they are also signs of ignorance. The only band camps you’ve seen are those in movies and on television, but they are not even close to being accurate representations of a modern, high school band camp. The media portrays camp as one of two things: band mates hooking up or a bunch of unathletic nerds stumbling over their feet.

It’s not like that at all.

For most musicians, band camp typically consists of a full week of rehearsals for a halftime field show. Although the media will often portray the event as an off-campus, overnight adventure, most schools will hold practices on their local high school football field for a few hours each day. The students arrive at the field in the morning and leave just before dinner.

For myself and my fellow bandmates, we always had band camp during the last (and subsequently, hottest) week of July. We woke up early to start practice before eight o’clock in the morning and ran drills all day until it was time to go home in the evening at five o’clock. We practiced day after day in the heat. We put our heart out on that field over and over again, only to have you laugh when we talk about our band camp.

It’s time to clear up the two biggest misconceptions:

1. All of the band members sleep together at band camp.

Anyone who thinks that band camp is a place to get laid has obviously never attended a band camp.

There’s just not enough time for that.

Students are lucky if they get a five-minute water break every hour. Most of the day is spent either learning the field show, practicing the music, or putting the two together. There is no time to run around and do unspeakable things.

In fact, there’s no place to go around and do these things together either.

Most band camps take place in a combination of a music room and a football field. When we’re outside, there’s so much open space. Where do you think one is to go to be alone? When we go inside, we’re lucky if we get the bathroom to ourselves during lunch, let alone an empty practice room or storage closet. There are so many band members that it is virtually impossible to wander off without someone noticing, not to mention the staff is sure to notice an empty spot on the field from the drum major’s stand or an empty chair from the director’s podium in the music room.

Even if there were time for other activities or even if someone could find themselves an abandoned part of the campsite, all band members know that relationships with others in the band only lead to awkward bus rides and an overall bad season. We’re a family. It’s like dating your brother or sister, and that’s just wrong.

So, I’m sorry to disappoint, but band camp is not something that belongs in an adult-rated movie.

2. Band camp is useless; they’re all uncoordinated and "unathletic."

Those who believe that marching band is filled with a bunch of uncoordinated nerds has obviously never tried the activity.

Not only is marching band considered a physical sport, but it also has mental challenges as well.

Marching band members are forced to memorize music as well as a field show. A typical halftime performance is ten minutes worth of music as well as ten minutes worth of steps. These steps have to be timed out perfectly or someone could get seriously injured. If one person is out of step or not in their spot, it becomes a hazard for all of the other band members.

Band members must be aware of all of their surroundings at all times while blowing all of the air their lungs can hold an instrument, whether it be a small as a piccolo or as large as a tuba. They must continue playing their music to the highest level they can achieve while executing a field show with precision marching.

Horns must be held at an angle. Feet must never be out of step. Lines must never be broken.

Marching band is a mental and physical activity.

Before you knock it, you should try it.

Band camp is unlike anything the movies and television shows paint it to be.

It’s a learning experience and a team-building exercise.

We learn from band camp.

In one week of band camp, we are forced to learn an average of three songs, if not more. We are forced to learn an entire field show. We learn how to march with confidence. We learn how to chair-step and oblique. We learn our right flanks and our left flanks. We learn to dress center, dress right, or dress left.

Not only do we learn music and marching techniques, but we also learn how to work as a unit. Unlike other activities where athletes can still succeed if they are missing a player, a marching band can only succeed as a unit. We are only as strong as our weakest member. We move as a unit and play as a unit. If we don’t have every member at every single practice, we automatically become weaker. We can’t play a show without our tuba player because we don’t have a backup one.

There are no backups. Everyone plays. Nobody sits on the bench during marching band.

Band camp helps us build a bond.

Although that bond is often made over our complaints about the lack of water breaks or the extreme heat, we make friendships that will last a lifetime. We learn facts about the new members during the freshman introductions. We learn each other's quirks during band camp. Since we are forced to be with the other band members for eight hours each day, we get to know them better. We understand that the flute player has asthma, so we need to make sure she’s okay when she stops during the middle of the set. We learn that the saxophone player is a perfectionist, so he always has to be in the exact spot, even if everyone else isn’t.

You will never understand the importance of band camp until you attend one.

Band camp may always be this foreign subject to you. It may always pop up in your mind as the media's stereotypical version of it, but understand that it’s not that way to most people.

When you laugh when I say the words “band camp” you are just allowing yourself to make judgments. You’re belittling my experiences with your ignorance.