The Marching Wolverines are always seen at football games. However, to most, it is not known that they start practicing for the fall a month before school starts. Starting on July 29th and going through to August 22nd, every member of the Marching Band attended Band Camp.

Nathan Nocon, the Drum Major for the Marching Wolverines, attended Band Camp as well. As Drum Major, Nocon even attended extra days, such as leadership meetings, to ensure he would be able to perform the best he could in the upcoming fall season. “We got water breaks and we got rest throughout the days, but it was still long eight, nine hour days and it got really tiresome by the end of the day. It was also just really enjoyable being in that shared environment. We all just really like it,” Nocon explained. Band Director Mr. Ryan Dempsey oversaw the drill and visuals of the Marching Band as they practiced for the fall season. “Everyone came in for a couple days for visual work. Then, we started doing the nine hour days after that…then we had eight four hour rehearsals until school started,” commented Dempsey. 

Band Camp is very important to the Marching Band, as this is where they will learn their drill, learn and practice their music, and make valuable connections with the rest of the group. “There were really long days where we either worked with music, tried to learn it and memorize it, or we tried to learn drill,” Nocon explained. Drill is the formation that the marching band will move through during their routine. 

Band Camp started in the mornings with warm-ups like jumping jacks, running in place, and other cardio to get started for the day. Then, the wind instruments and the percussion would stay outside to practice their drill, while the front ensemble, marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, synthesizer, bass guitar, and auxiliary percussion would go inside to practice their music, as they do not move during the drill. Halfway through the day, everyone will have lunch together inside the school building. Depending on the day and temperature, the band either stays inside to practice music with the full band or goes outside to do full run-throughs of their music pieces.

Marching is not the only thing happening on the field during the Marching Wolverines performance; the synchronized dancers with colorful flags are the Color Guard. During Band Camp, the Color Guard has a slightly different task than the Marching Band. “Depending on the day, the Color Guard might split off from the group and we’ll do our own across the floor of dance. If we already have some drills set, we might do some reps of drill, and then we might run through some choreography and flag and rifle basics,”  explained Sofia Zenther, a Color Guard Captain. 

Despite the heat and the long hours, many students enjoy attending Band Camp and being in the Marching Band with their friends. Sophomore clarinetist Kelly Haley commented, “It’s really difficult, but it brings a sense of belonging, almost a sense of family. It gives you a group of people to hang out with and be a part of. It was really difficult, but it was worth it in the end.”