Band Camp and Past Experiences

I absolutely loved band camp. A few things stand out in my memory.

There was far less pressure to try and be cool. There was less peer pressure and much more discussion about MUSIC and the arts in general. People had respect and appreciation for things that too few of the people in my high school even knew about. None of my football teamates knew who Art Tatum was, for example.

One of the things I most appreciated was the talent. I was able to participate in some music groups that had more talent than what I was able to perform with at home. Not that we weren't good at home, we were good enough. Just not as good as a gathering of people who cared mostly about music. That talent level made for a LOT of fun, especially on concert night.

The other memory I have is that, yes, I met a girl, and yes, we were naughty.

Definitely miss band camp. Although tough and grueling, the friends and memories I have from being in marching band are unforgettable. Both in rehearsal and outside of rehearsal, they were great moments. There's just too many jokes and memories to even put down. I'd be going on and on if I started listing

... you took a self-portrait?

At times it was nature vs. me. The blistering hot weather, the stupid birds that happened to "defecate" over me during water breaks, rain, etc.

A bit of advice: Bring extra reeds and protection.