Ferndale Marching Band Camp Diary, Day 5...
22 August 2005

Day 5

We went into Friday with an altered plan of attack for the last day of band camp. The kids had already learned all 51 pages of drill and could get through it marching and playing with out any restarts. The question in our minds was “How do we keep challenging these over-achieving kids without pushing them too far after a long week?”

We decided we would be able to start rehearsing the choreography (drill) so that each picture looked exactly as it was supposed to on paper. We seldom reach this stage of “nit-picking” till the very end of the season, but this is exactly what took place during the morning block.

After lunch, the students talked as a group about their goals for this marching band season. It was a sizeable list, and all agreed that they the goals were achievable. After some work in sectionals each member made their way outside for some marching “show and tell”. Each section displayed their best version of the “figure 8” block while members of the staff became judges each responsible for a different aspect of marching. Once the results were tallied the clarinets were declared the winners but all sections showed they have improved a great deal since the beginning of the week.

After another short rehearsal emphasizing show review, the band set up for their first exhibition for family and friends who came to see what the students had been doing all week. We thanked all the parents, community members and businesses for helping the band camp operation take place with their donations of resources and time. Finally, with the Dr. Beat guiding our way, the band pulled off a great performance with no restarts. That performance was the culmination of much hard work on the part of all the students, staff and parents involved and only the beginning of what looks to be a great marching band season ahead!