“Oh yeah baby!” The Mighty Eagle Band chants from the football field after performing their halftime show at the first varsity football game.
But how much did the MEB practice to get to this point? How did they manage to perform a full show so early in the school year? How did they master their music and drill before the first week of school? And how did the Eaglettes Color Guard synchronize their choreography with the band in such a short time?
The answer is behind one act … band camp! Each summer, the MEB and Eaglettes commit to intense rehearsals over their summer break to ensure their marching show looks and sounds perfect for football games and competitions.
Band and Color Guard Camp extends from the third week of July through the last week of summer break. Accompanied by the blistering Texas heat, rehearsal hours are grueling and take up a lot of student’s free time.
For anyone that has been through band camp for years, this is a breeze as they have adjusted to this routine each summer and know how camp normally runs. But … for freshmen, this system is difficult to adapt to, as it is their first time going through such a ritual.
“It was stressful knowing that I had to become flexible and get everything down really fast,” freshman Kimberly Hernandez said.
Hernandez also faced disruptions in her sleep schedule, getting only a few hours of sleep before and after rehearsals.
“I only got 3 hours of sleep,” Hernandez said. “I woke up at 5 a.m for 7:30 practices.”
With all these obstacles, Hernandez felt discouraged to the point of leaving the team.
“I started doubting myself in some way, I felt like quitting,” Hernandez said.
Despite these hardships, Hernandez picked herself up from them, built friendships with her teammates, and improved her skills.
“I think the bond with everyone made me stay and be part of something,” Hernandez said. “The more you do it, the more you get used to it. The more reps I get in, the better I get at it.”
Hernandez shared advice for future freshmen in order to have a peaceful and successful band camp experience.
“Try your best and, it’s ok if you don’t fit in right away, you will be welcomed by a lot of people, ” Hernandez said. “Drink water and get lots of rest. Don’t be like me who came [to camp] with no rest.”
