|
Post by cdawg15 on Jun 26, 2008 19:14:09 GMT -5
Ok. I need some help.
For years, i feel like we haven't run a very successful band camp. Now, by unsuccessful i mean, we leave band camp with ALOT to do. We get work done, but i feel not enough. I'm the drum major this year, after 5 years of hard work, (we're a private school and middle school can be in marching band) and i really want to turn the band around. I do realize that I'm not going to be able to change much, and that our director has the ultimate say so, but in our small band... i have a little more say than others.
Anyway, i want to know how your band camps are run. All the way from beginning to end. Including any drills y'all have, and anything that builds teamwork, etc..
Keep in mind that our band has 20 people in... so smaller band members, please respond. big bands welcome too! haha
Any DM tips welcome too... I'm a newbie, and we didn't have a drum major last year... :/
|
|
|
Post by fluttietuttie on Jun 26, 2008 21:07:38 GMT -5
Alright well. First day. We unpack, then get right to practicing. Since we get there in the afternoon, we get to eat dinner there, and then practice again. After that we get to relax in the center chill area, or walk around the camp. Next day, wake up at I think 6:30, exercise, and stretch. Usually play a game consisting of running. Next is breakfast, then more practice. Break, for pool and such, then lunch. Then more practice. Then the same schedule as the night before. Usually each day, we also have an hour or two sectional. Though, throughout, we play band games/march offs/ section games. Keep in mind, my band has 85 people.
DM tips- You are the leader of the band right now. Everyone looks up to you. If you're getting your work done, so will they, and if they don't you have to keep them in line. Band camp has to get so much day, but also be fun. I don't know if you go away or not, but if you do, I advise that you try to make everyone congregate at certain times to just have bonding time, and if there is other bands there, to socialize. Appropriate pranks are always fun, too. =D
Now, as my last sentence. How did you guys NOT have a drum major?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2008 11:23:00 GMT -5
You're assuming, FT, that he has a live-in camp. That is, however, a good question--do you have a live-in camp, and if not, where is your camp held and how long does it last?
We got about half of our drill done during camp. We could have done more, but we also had to do team-building and some other stupid ****. The first thing you need is to be damn sure that everybody is listening to you, and cares. There's a lot of ways to do this, and you can probably think of a couple, especially in a smaller band like yours (I come from a band of about forty people, so we're not much bigger than you).
The second thing you have to do is be aware of your band. Watch each individual marcher (easier for you than for most drum majors) and make sure that they are roll-stepping (or peak stepping) properly, that their back is straight, that they are playing the music. Listen to each individual section at different points in the show, and then change which sections you listen to when each day. The problem with being a small band is that EVERY SINGLE MEMBER is extremely important, and if one is off, the whole show is off. The advantage of being so small is that you and the BD can both be very attentive to each marcher, instead of delegating to section leaders.
The third thing is probably to make sure that you have a schedule, and that you stick to it. Don't let people come back from lunch late--if lunch ends at one O'clock, be doing a b-flat scale at five after.
The last thing you need to do is, as I advise all people with these problems to do, to wait for Scott to reply and follow his instructions to the T.
|
|
|
Post by cdawg15 on Jun 27, 2008 16:46:24 GMT -5
Flutie- We didn't have a drum major because we had a field commander instead. He conducted only one song. It was a BIG mistake.
and no, we don't do live- in. We do one week at school, where we'll march on the parking lot (hopefully they'll have it done by then, if not, we're screwed) and the second week we do at our fields... which is all the way across town, so we'll have an actual field to march on. It goes from usually 8-4 with a lunch break, but we have to stay on campus, so yea.
oh, and who's Scott?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2008 22:09:08 GMT -5
Scott Benson II, our resident expert on leadership (also a demigod, but don't tell him that)>
|
|
|
Post by cdawg15 on Jun 27, 2008 22:26:52 GMT -5
Well send him in.
|
|
|
Post by fluttietuttie on Jun 29, 2008 8:36:40 GMT -5
My bad. =( I just thought about my band camp, and wrote it. Some things can still apply though. =D
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2008 9:29:10 GMT -5
I'm sure he will stop in on his regular rounds at some point. Or maybe he won't and he'll just leave us all in the lurch.
I'm off to a camp in Greeley tomorrow (in case nobody had noticed that) so I may have something for you on Friday or Saturday.
|
|
|
Post by snowflakelobodm on Jun 29, 2008 10:51:57 GMT -5
cdawg15,
Day one- set a block and start with learning the attention posture(easy squeezy) as well as all stationary commands (hases, parade rest, low mark time) day two- get back in block start resume hut (moving the block) teaching them the proper way to march (high step, rolled heel, or whatever you do) then teach flanks and slides and to the rears, obliques, and back step...it easy!
|
|
|
Post by altoclarinets on Jun 29, 2008 14:59:08 GMT -5
this whole process is done best if the band is broken into small groups (3-4 peeps) led by student leadership or very strong marchers. start with stationary commands (incl. mark time). be sure to check for every tiny detail at all times. have them hold attention for a while to help build muscle memory. then work on the roll step. Start by just bending the knee a tiny bit on the "te" of count 8, then add the actual step, then do multiple steps and a halt. be sure to stress the roll and the crossing of the feet on te. do it slowly at first, then quickly. Have experienced marchers link arms with rookies to help set step size. Do the same thing with back march, then work on the transition between the two. after that, start working on more complicated stuff like slides, flank turns and 4 count turns. This should be able to be accomplished over the course of about a week to a week and a half if you work on it every day. remember to always check for details, and make sure that all of the "teachers" are very aware as to how everything has to be taught. (that's just fish camp, but it can be applied to full band as well.) For band camp- ours is all day, with warm up and drill work/fundamentals, usu. w/o horns, in the morning, a break for lunch (1 hour 30 mins) and work on music/ stand tunes inside and seated on the PAC stage in the afternoon. The last week of camp is a series of 3- hour (as opposed to 2-hr during the school year) practices at our home football stadium just working on the show and game details like march-in and dance team block.
|
|
|
Post by cdawg15 on Jun 30, 2008 9:09:39 GMT -5
Thanks for everbody's help. Keep the suggestions comming. and there was something else I was gonna ask... but I compleatly forgot... damn oh well, if i think of it, i'll come back and ask.
|
|
KUguardgrl13
Band Nerd
I'm a sister in the bond of this kinship I am fond[F4:687065693]
Posts: 442
|
Post by KUguardgrl13 on Jun 30, 2008 15:15:44 GMT -5
i go to a very large band camp for all band students grades 7-12. 7th and 8th graders participate in concert bands, small ensembles, and learn to march for the first time. 9th graders put on a mini marching band show (3 short songs, 20ish sets). 10th-12th graders + freshmen guardies work on the marching band show.
Here's the schedule from 2005:
Sunday- check-in and load buses at HS, leave, arrrive and unload, recieve room assignments, dinner, all-camp meeting, meeting for all 9-12 graders, evening rehearsals, Olympic team meetings, dorm meetings, lights out 11:00
Mon, Tues, Wed- Rise and shine 7:00, breakfast, dorm and room clean for inspections by dorm staff, (all-camp photo Wed.), rehearsals, lunch, sectionals, music rehearsal for winds (guard and d-line on fields), Olympics, Dinner, (emergency drill Tues.), rehearsal, (Olympic Team Mixer Mon., Section Mixer Tues. and Wed.), dorm meetings, lights out 11:00
Thursday- Rise and shine 7:00, breakfast, dorm and room clean for inspections, rehearsal, lunch, sectionals, music rehearsal for winds (guard and d-line on fields), Olympics, Dinner, rehearsal, staff presentations (i.e. staff band performances), bonfire w/ marshmallows and smores, dorm meetings, lights out 11:00
Friday- Rise and shine 7:00, breakfast, dorm and room clean for inspections, rehearsal, lunch, rehearsal and Senior Speeches, 7th and 8th grade concert, Olympics, Dinner, rehearsal, Awards for Olympics, Cleanest Dorm, and Staff-to-Camper, pizza party/dance, dorm meetings, lights out 12:00
Saturday- rise and shine 7:00, breakfast, dorm and room clean up, all-camp cleanup, pack personal things, camper check-out from dorms, warm-up, final run-through and instructions, presentation for parents and guests outside (if weather permits), pack and load band equipment, load buses for those w/o rides home from parents
Olympics: basically, all the seniors get to be one of 3-5 captains for their own Olympic teams. Captains are allowed to pick among the 9-11 graders, but 7 and 8 graders are randomly assigned. Events include: Human Fooseball, Softball, Basket Ball, Steeple Chase, Pentathalon, Swimming, tug-of-war, ultimate frisbee, etc.
|
|
|
Post by cdawg15 on Jun 30, 2008 17:45:46 GMT -5
Woh. a mini marching band show is 3 songs and 20ish sets? That's like, our full show.
|
|
|
Post by altoclarinets on Jun 30, 2008 17:57:49 GMT -5
We usually do 3 or 4 selections and some 80-100 sets. (Halfway through last year's 1st movement was set 29, and the 3rd movement- which was UBER short- had like 10. Go fig) Show's really short this year though.
|
|
|
Post by bariclaribob on Jun 30, 2008 18:01:42 GMT -5
My first and third years, we did away camp. Last year, we had camp at the school, and I don't think it was effective at all, since we were over 100 people.
We did a LOT of sectionals, as I remember it. Basically, we'd show up in the morning, go outside and stretch, form a block, march to the parking lot, and drill. We'd add music, break for lunch, maybe have a full group rehearsal, and add sectionals as needed.
For our in-school camp, I don't recall the dms doing very much. Our bds pretty much ran things, and last year, we had responsible sls, so they got a lot done in sectionals for us. WE didn't spend time team-building.
YOU MUST SCHEDULE TIME FOR TEAM-BUILDING!!!!!!!!!! I mean, we did it my first year when we were 65 members, and we had an awesome season. When we took a trip and had 100+, we did not team build, and we sucked. This year, we're doing all right, but it was better when we got to know each other.
1.) MAKE EVERYONE LEARN EVERYONE'S NAME. Now, in such a small band, you guys probably already know everyone's name. But for other dms taking notes, it is VITAL. I take it upon myself to learn everyone's name, but this year, for example, our assitant bd doesn't know anyone's name outside of possibly "leadership." That has not made us feel like a family, and I think that that's how a marching band should operate. 2.) DO NOT BREAK TRADITIONS. I know that you want to turn things around and improve your band, and that is fantastic. Just be careful. People (whether or not they say it to their dms/sls) get royally ticked off when you mess with marching band tradition. They will complain to their friends about it, and it will make people resentful and angsty. 3.) HAVE FUN YOURSELF! If the band sees that you are having fun WHILE working hard, they'll be more likely to work hard and be happy with the show. Now, if they see you having fun w/o working at all, though, they'll explode. I saw my sl get invited on a special pontoon ride along with all the sls and dms for their "hard work," and the next morning, 3 sls and the senior dm overslept and skipped the "leadership" meeting. The whole band had to wait to eat breakfast b/c our hardworking leadership couldn't be bothered to show up on time. That got to the whole band.
Good luck!
|
|