The Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band held its annual high school band camp. The camp lasted from July 5-10.
The campers were composed of elementary, junior high and high school students from across the state of Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma.
The camp was divided into various divisions such as the orchestra, drumline, twirling team, flag twirlers and a dance team.
Throughout the week, staying overnight, each group practiced countless routines; more specifically, the campers engaged in a daily busy schedule.
Dillard Sims, the percussion director, gave insight on the schedule. The first part of the week was spent working on fundamentals, and the last part of the week was devoted to putting on a show.
Beginning at 6 a.m., the campers exercised by running drills and also performing a morning
DEAQUANIQUE JACKSON/Courtesy photo
High school band camp members take time to practice in Conrad Hutchinson Building.
field show. From 9 a.m. until 11:45 a.m., they learned various techniques and after lunch at 1 p.m., the various groups worked on their performances.
Sims has taught band camp for over eight years, and he loves teaching at the camp. His biggest enjoyment is seeing the campers start young and progress as they get older.
Towards the end of the camp, a number of campers shared their views.
Justin Garrett from Irvin, Texas is a senior who attends Nimitz High School and plans to major in music or engineering. He plays the snare drum in the band at his high school and during the camp. He attended the GSU Band Camp for five years, and he says, “It helps tremendously. It helps adjust to college life and adjust to playing with college students.”
Garrett has been playing the snare drum since he was little and watched the GSU band, which developed his interest in wanting to be a future member of the GSU band.
Janequia Alberty is also from Texas but is a senior at Lancaster High School. She plans to major in biomedical engineering.
Alberty is a drum major at her school and practiced with the drumline during camp. This year was her first year attending the camp, and she made many new friends. The band camp helped Alberty as well. She said, “The camp helped me to play cleaner.”
Shawna Williams from Tulsa, Okla., is a freshman at Central High School who plans to major in biology.
This year was her first year to attend the flag twirlers component of the band camp. Though she had to bring her own flag, the camp taught her how to be a better flag twirler and some basic routines. The camp also taught her some techniques she can take back to her school with her to better her flag twirling ability.
Ending the band camp, the campers performed a show on Saturday, July 11. The audience was amazed and satisfied by their performance. With that being said, it is safe to GSU Band Camp of 2015 was a success.