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marching-guide · 7 years ago

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BAND CAMP SURVIVAL GUIDE

For the love of all things holy please follow this list.

1. BRING WATER!!!

You'll be doing crazy amounts of sweating every single day. At our school we usually bring gallon jugs of ice water and have them empty by the end of the day every single time. Falling face first on the blacktop with a couple thousand dollar instrument is NOT the way to start the season either.

2. BRING GOOD SUNSCREEN!!!

Actually take the time and find some good SPF sunscreen, even on the cloudy days. Neutrogena's CoolDry Sport Sunscreen is the bomb.com and you don't have to reapply every 2 minutes. If you can't find it or it's too pricy, a good 50 SPF sunscreen or better should do the job. (Bonus points if it's meant for sweating) Make sure to get all the places you don't think about also including your ears, neck, hands, and occasionally lips.

3. EAT FILLING FOODS!!!

I love junk food and pizza as much as anyone else, but somewhat healthy foods are your best bet. Stay away from foods that might make your stomach upset like dairy, fish, greasy foods, etc. Fruits and veggies along with other foods that will fill you up will keep you feeling good through it all. Protein is also super good to have too.

4. WEAR THE RIGHT CLOTHES!!!

Jeans, long sleeve shirts, hoodies, jackets, and other warm things aren't meant for band camp. From the head down I would say to bring:

Hat

Sunglasses

Comfy, light colored t-shirt or tank top

Basketball/Athletic shorts

Socks (that cover your ankles)

Tennis shoes/Dinkles

Also, for anyone who normally binds, I wouldn't recommend binding during band camp. You need as much air and movement as you can get, plus passing out isn't any fun. I would say to get a tight sports bra as a possible solution but whatever you do...DONT BIND WITH ACE WRAP.

5. GET YOUR BODY READY!!!

Try to get some exercise and stretches in atleast a week or two before band camp starts. I would recommend walking or jogging and probably getting some calf raises in; maybe even some back exercises for a better posture and attention position.

6. BE READY TO GO!!!

Bring drill charts, dot books, (also something to carry it with, I always brought shoe string or yarn for mine) water, instrument, music, pencil, anything to mark sets with (we used chalk on the pavement in the beginning stages) and whatever else your school says. Also, it's cheesy but bring a positive attitude too. A positive attitude will be good for everyone involved and make days go by a lot faster. Also, be kind and respectful to staff, section leaders, drum majors, and any veterans trying to help you out. You may not see it until later but pestering you about mistakes can make you a better marcher in the long run.

Ins and Outs

Don't make anyone feel self-conscious about themselves. If they can't fix it in 10 seconds, then don't mention it.

Be quick between changes and try to hustle so not too much time is wasted.

If you feel light headed, sick, or nauseous, please sit down or take a second. Passing out isn't fun and waking up from it is even worse.

You'll meet many new people so be open and friendly.

Share with people! Share water, sunscreen, etc with other people (to some extent, you don't want to get sick however)

Lotion sunscreen is a LOT better than spray sunscreen. Spray can't get the full coverage you really need.

Baby wipes are good for getting rid of sunscreen, sweat, dirt, etc that can get on your skin.

Baby powder is great for sweaty thighs.

ALWAYS KEEP EXTRA HAIRTIES, HEADBANDS, BOBBY PINS, ETC. You never know when another persons may snap or break.

Have a "Bandmergency Bag." We had one with pads, tampons, hairties, headbands, bobby pins, deodorant, bug spray, cough drops, bandaids and more in it. It's super helpful for small bands or even for big ones if you get enough people on boared.

Leave your ego at the door. There will be many seemingly crazy things the band director may ask you to do. Do it and don't make it worse than it is.

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