Band camp. A person's first introduction to the band. Long sectionals followed by relentless marching. People yelling in your face because you aren't standing up straight, your toes aren't high enough or your horn angles aren't quite right. Ugh. It is HORRIBLE. Yet…
I look forward to it every year. Every year I arrive at school and 10 in the morning to have a five hour sectional before a 10 minute breaks that precedes a two hour practice with the whole band. Then we have a one hour dinner break followed by five hours of marching practice. Fun fun fun!
Actually, it is really fun. I remember my first sectional. I was so intimidated by everyone all around me. The music was so different from anything I was used to playing. The notes were so high and there were all these runs. And some of the seniors in my section were just playing them without having seen the music before! At least, that's what I thought. I later found out that they had the music all summer but that has no real significance.
I learned so much in that first sectional. Of course, we weren't playing the whole time. I mean, we are the flute section! Anyway, so we talked and laughed and played and then we went to play with the whole band. It was an amazing feeling to be a part of this huge, spectacular band.
I walked to KFC with my friend Amy and had a pot pie for dinner. She had popcorn chicken and mashed potatoes.
When we went back to school for the second half of the day, we were early so we just milled around and talked to people. At exactly six o'clock the band leaders got us all into groups and ten minutes later, the band director walked into the stadium. Everyone sat in their groups and stretched. Right after stretches, they taught us the command Attention and how and when to get there. They also taught by-the-ready. After that, we went with our groups to different sections of the field and learned different marching techniques. On the first day, we learned right and left face, forward march, flanks and how to read charts.
I was dog tired at the end of the day. I just wanted to go to sleep. So I did.
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The next day I wasn't sure I wanted to go back. The previous day was exhausting. However, I did go back. I couldn't just not go. I mean, technically, it was a part of the class. Anyway, I was happy I went that day.
In sectionals, my section leader gave me the first flute part! This was a big deal for 2 reasons: one, I was a freshman. Enough said. Reason 2: Some of the sophomores and even juniors had the second part.
Later, when the director was walking around checking on things he asked for the firsts to play this one section in our opener. I played it almost perfectly (perfection wasn't realistic – I just got the music that day and I wasn't that good. Yet.). The worst thing was that when we got about halfway through, everyone else stopped meaning I was the only one playing. Man, that was nerve wracking.
The director complimented me, told the others to practice more and then walked off. The looks, more like glares, I was getting made me really angsty so I kinda ran off. I know I should have stayed but I just couldn't. (I have some issues but I'm getting help.)
Nothing exciting really happened the rest of the day, or the rest of the week to be honest. Not until Friday which was the Band Games.
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So Friday came and I had a blast. The only not cool part of the day was the wheel barrow race on the smoking hot turf. I got horrible burns on my palms, but that's beside the point.
We had two water games and a popsicle eating race, there hula hoops and trivia and many other entertaining games.
We also came up with a small marching routine with our class (frosh, soph, junior, senior) to show off what we learned.
That night, we had a family barbeque and our families got to see what we did all week long.
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I was happy but sad because band camp was coming to a close.
I was reminded that school would start in another week. YAY! I began thinking that I would really enjoy this school year.