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Band, atten-hut!

  One! I shout, hoping that this will be the last time we are called to attention before a water break.  The metronome, connected to a huge speaker at the back of the field, begins to click, and I squint through the bright sunshine at Faye, our drum major.  As she begins to conduct, I mutter, mark time, mark under my breath as I begin to march in place.  After four beats, I begin to move, hoping that my steps will be just the right size to bring me to the next spot in our show.  After 12 beats, we stop, and I glance down at my feet, hoping to see them on the yellow spot I had marked earlier.   Welcome, my friends, to band camp, the infamous two weeks that mark the beginning of marching season for the 140 members of the Lawrence North Regime.  The scenario above is a familiar one to these students- it comprises much of the nine hours they spend each day to learn their marching show.  It is called learning drill.  And, with next years show theme having just been unveiled, the thought of another summer band camp is weighing heavily on their minds.   Of course, their theory, as they will explain to the freshman on their first day of practice, is as follows: If you can survive band camp, you can survive anything.  And right they are.  Band camp is the ultimate in hard work.  Students arrive at camp at noon, juggling drill books, instruments, and water bottles, and clad in tank tops and shorts.  They spend 45 minutes warming up by playing flexibility and technique exercises while marking time.  Then its off to sectionals, where they spend time with players of their own instrument, memorizing and perfecting the music theyve been given.   The majority of the day is spent outside, marching from spot to spot in order to ingrain every aspect of the show in each players memory.  The sun is almost always out until 7 PM or later, and its usually about 80 degrees.  Complaints of sunburns and headaches run rampant among the red-faced, sweaty students, and cries of Water! are often heard as students run back to their spots after a particularly difficult drill set.

  Students end practice by gathering around the directors tower around 9 oclock at night to listen to the praises and criticisms of the drum majors and band director.  Practice officially ends when one of the drum majors calls, Band atten-hut! and every student comes to attention, yelling, Regime!    However, music and marching are not the only things students learn at band camp.  Things like section pride and certain unspoken rules are also learned.  It is not hard to find a section captain telling his or her section, We have to beat the trumpets for Section of the Week, so you have to work really hard.  Arguments between section members often ensue.  Flutes are fruits!  Yeah, well, at least we can march! can be heard during water breaks, as a piccolo player throws her cup of water at a particularly annoying tuba player.   Other rules, like, No one respects the band director, Being sick isnt an excuse for missing practice, and Freshman suck, are also easily discovered.  Certain rivalries quickly develop, as the clarinets are taught to hate the flutes and seniors who didnt become captain try the patience of their section leaders.  Often, students find themselves beginning to tell One time at band camp stories to their friends and families.    So what makes band camp worth it?  There are pages upon pages of reasons to go to band camp, but what anyone whos survived band camp will tell you is this: Band camp is the best two weeks of your life.  The band becomes your family, the band room your home away from home.  You develop friendships there that will last a lifetime, and you learn, not only to put up with, but to love, 139 wonderful, dedicated people.    Sure, winning a ton of awards was nice, but its band camp that Ill never forget.