Whether the event is a spirit assembly or a halftime show at a football game, marching band strives to give a dynamic performance that gets spectators on their feet. However, marching in perfect sync, playing music from memory and performing as a large unit doesn’t come without preparation. Band council members and section leaders attended prep week (Aug. 8 to 10) and nearly 140 students attended band camp (Aug. 13 to 17), where they worked together for long hours to ensure the band is ready for a successful marching season.

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Shannon Hong

Band students line up to practice marching. "Something that's really important about marching band is looking coordinated and united," senior Ethan Mah said. "So having everybody be able to perform the exact same way is what makes it look so clean."

Once they lined up, band students stood, ready to listen to marching orders. As they were given, students followed them in quick, sharp movements. To an outsider, these orders may have seemed like a secret code but band students knew exactly what they meant and were determined to memorize them by heart. For six hours a day for five days, students attended band camp to begin getting ready for the marching season.

The majority of the time was spent practicing songs that the band was going to play at upcoming football games. While learning the material is essential to any musical performance, senior and flutist Evelynn Li said the focus of band camp is to review marching technique and to memorize the marching routines.

“Especially because our first football game is so early this year, we just want to make sure everything is prepared, clean and refined,” Li said.

To reach this high level of execution, senior drum major Beatrice Duchastel led the group through drill downs frequently at band camp. Senior and snare drummer Gavin Wright described drill downs as a complex version of Simon Says that uses specific turns and moves that are unique to marching.

“Drill downs continue the military-inspired history of marching bands and reinforce the traditions of respect and precision needed for the specific type of music performance,” Wright said.

But this camp wasn’t all about practicing; it also gave students the chance to get to know the other people in the band. On the first day, junior and baritonist Chloe Person said students were assigned to different color groups and within these groups, they played a variety of card games and group activities throughout the week.

“The idea of color groups is that you get to bond with other members of the band that aren’t necessarily in your section or your friends,” Person said.

These bonding activities were particularly helpful to students who were new to the band, such as the incoming freshmen. Duchastel said one of the most exciting parts about camp was getting to meet them.

“This is the freshmens’ first time coming to Inglemoor and meeting high schoolers and I think it’s really awesome that band is going to be the first thing they see about Inglemoor,” Duchastel said.

With there being a group of incoming freshmen and a group of returning members, senior and saxophonist Eric Ni said the aspect of working as a group was heavily emphasized during camp.

“Within your squad, you have to work together. Then the squad has to work within the whole section, and the section has to work within the whole band,” Ni said. “[Essentially], all of those have to work together in order for the band to function.”

On the last day of camp, students performed in a showcase in front of their parents. Junior drum major Nathan Loutsis said this gave them the opportunity to demonstrate all of the skills and abilities they learned throughout the week.

“These skills will help the band during marching season by giving us a strong base set of skills and mechanics to build off of, [which will increase] the ability and complexity of our shows,” Loutsis said.