Classroom Resources

6 EASY Tips from 2 Accomplished Directors to Make Your Marching Band Camp ROCK!

Summer is here and you know what that means…Marching Band Camp! Band camp is full of tradition and every school has their own unique take on that tradition – whether it’s involving the booster club or welcoming new members, Marching Band Camp sets the tone for the upcoming school year. WorldStrides OnStage spoke to two Marching Band directors on their tips and tricks for a successful camp.

Dane Danielson is the Director of Bands at Goddard High School in Kansas. For the past seven years, he has successfully led the marching band program and attributes some of his success to starting off the season on the right note at band camp. He gave us these easy, but useful tips:

• Structure your time at camp to make the day feel like it flies by – build in breaks for food, leadership activities, and non- band activities in addition to your marching, music, and sectional time.
• At the end of the week, have a parent performance followed by a potluck dinner. “We supply hot dogs and burgers and parent bring a side dish. The students perform what they learned that week and the parents will get behind the band right from the beginning of the season!”
• Host a booster club meeting during band camp week to get the “battle plan” together. “We discuss what kind of fundraisers we are going to do during the school year before school kicks off.”

We also spoke with Dr. Ken Dye, the Director of Bands at the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish Band is a program built on tradition and excellence. Dr. Ken Dye has run many camps throughout his time with Notre Dame. He gave us three quick tips for your summer marching band camp: 

1- Prior to camp, contact your facilities chief early and arrange for well drained and lined field(s).
2- Make back up plans indoors in case of rain or lightning. (Reserve the gym if possible)
3- Collect emergency contact phone numbers of all participants in the event of illness, injury, or other unplanned events.

Whether you’re a High School Band Director, College Band Director, Booster Club Parent, or Band Student, one thing is certain- Marching Band Camp is a time-honored summer tradition. We hope you find these tips and tricks useful and help rock your band camp!!