Come Again Another Day
That was our desire this morning as a group of dedicated parents and band supporters stood in the rain loading luggage and box fans into vehicles and trailers for the short drive to Hope College. The rain was never heavy, but it was steady. As the support vehicles left at 9:30 for Holland, there was a lot of focus on the forecast. Ever changing, it seemed today would be a difficult one to start a week intended to enjoy the beautiful campus during a steamy August. Fortunately, the weather stayed dry. It was a blessing to have cloud cover and cooler temperatures given the high humidity.
Our Jenison students checked into their rooms and headed to lunch before the fun began on the field. The day went smoothly from then on. They began with some basic moves to re-establish that special team coordination which is crucial to their success. By the end of the day, the music and drill was beginning to come together for the (approximately) first sixty seconds of the show. For those that haven't experienced marching band yet, the progress that was made was pretty good, but it isn't even close to the quality of the show at the end of a season. At this point, the drill is blocky and includes simply walking to different coordinates on the field. Later these movements will be "filled" with different body positions to increase the difficulty and entertainment factor all at once. Body positions can be something as simple as a crouch or as complicated as running in a crouch while playing an instrument. Even so, it doesn't diminish the accomplishments of today. If anything, it accentuates is. Without basics firmly in place, you can't achieve the finesse needed to win.
So, tonight, as they return to the dorm and try to relax in the super hot building, relationships are being forged. Games are being played, videos are being shared, conversations are being had. There is laughter to be heard in every part of the building. Band camp is hard work for these students, but it can be a lot of fun as well.
I am going to try to post a few pictures from each day of camp. I don't have very many today because of all of the work the chaperones have on day one. I will try to do more over the next few days. Please enjoy and know that we are already proud of your kids.