As a person who has marched for six years at one point I was in the same shoes as you are right now. I remember it like it was just yesterday. I was excited and nervous at the same time for band camp to start. Band camp is a place to learn your very first show music, drill, and learning how to march and play your instrument at the same time. While it is a place to have fun and become a better musician, I’ve seen so many people make the same mistakes every year which leads them to get sick during band camp and miss out on a lot. So here are some tips to survive band camp.
1. Dress comfortably and appropriately.
Since band camp takes place over the summer, you’ll want to wear shorts and a light colored t-shirt or tank top with tennis shoes, unless otherwise specified by the band director. Also be aware of the dress codes followed by the band and the school and if there is any difference between the two.
2. Be on time.
Timely arrivals show that you want to make a commitment to the program and saves yourself from having to run laps or reprimanded by your director, drum major, or section leader. Remember: In band, early is on time, on time is late, and late means running laps or getting a punishment from one of the leaders. Also, being on time or early gets rehearsal to start (and end) on time. You don’t want to be the person that makes rehearsal end later.
3. Drink plenty of water.
For the time that you’ll be having rehearsals, water will be your best friend. Other drinks like soda or juice will dehydrate you. Be sure to drink water 20-30 minutes before you go out in the heat. Avoid drinking milk or eating dairy products before band camp. When you are in the heat it will not cause it to curdle and your stomach will stay at a constant temperature unless you get a heat stroke and the acid in your stomach curdles. Dairy will take a while to fully digest and you could become nauseous. Get an insulated jug for water. Don’t forget to clean and dry it after each day’s practice so that it doesn’t gunk up inside.
4. Practice.
Make sure to take your instrument home as often as you can. Full band rehearsals are to pull together everyone’s individual parts and to balance all the parts equally. You have to know your part to be able to balance it with the other instruments within the band. Don’t rely on full band rehearsals to learn your parts.
5. Put in effort.
The more effort you put in at band camp, the easier it will be at football games or band competitions. You don’t want to spend all your time later in the season playing catch-up.
6. Make friends.
Get to know the people in your section, whoever is sitting or standing next to you in formation, and anybody else that seems interesting to you. You have band and music in common already. However, do not talk when you’re setting up formations, at attention, or listening to the director talk. You have just joined a family joining this band. It may not seem like it now, but you’ll learn to love them.
7. Learn the show.
Now that you know most of your first show, it is time to practice. Practice as you would like to perform. Practice any troubled spots in your music that you cannot seem to get. Learn your formations and get them as perfect as you possibly can. Practice on your marching techniques and get better at them. If you cannot seem to get any better, ask for help from your section leader, one of your band directors, or one of the drum majors. They will be more than glad to assist you!
