Morning rehearsal went smooth. As did lunch. As did the afternoon rehearsal. So, now it was time to pack up the trailers to return to Jenison. This is a big undertaking. There is a certain order and method to packing up the instruments. Those of you who have done this for competitions understand. Some of these items are heavy and have to be lifted pretty high to be stored properly. Immediately following this was checking the band’s rooms and loading their luggage and fans into other trailers. This is a busy time that feels pretty crazy. Each chaperone has about 16 rooms to inspect, including their own. When this is done, the band can load the buses and return to Jenison. Once back “home” we get to unload everything: luggage, fans, instruments, mining carts. There are a lot of helping hands for this part, which is a real blessing!
Show shirts were handed out to the band members and lunch was provided at school by our Feed the Band committee before rehearsal continued. It felt good to be on our own field. It pulled this week’s experiences all together and “brought it home”. The community performance was drawing near. The excitement continued to build. When 6:00 rolled around, the stands were already building an audience. The band continued to rehearse. By the time Mr. Zamborsky began introducing the marching band, the stands were very crowded. The band then performed two times. The first was done with the students standing in rows, more like a concert setting. This was to allow some of our students who have injuries that prevent them for marching right now. The second performance was to show the progress made from learning the drill. The performances sounded great and looked pretty good, too. Everyone in the band will tell you it needs work but, when the rest of us watch it, we see what they’ve accomplished. But, that’s the difference between our jobs as performers or supporters.
I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to share some of what camp is about. Hopefully you have gained a little insight into the mystery of this week. Thank you for reading this blog and a hearty thank you for your kind words in response. This entry concludes the dialog regarding this year’s band camp. More pictures will follow as I gather some of those taken by our crew of chaperones. Keep checking in for future entries.