During the summer, the marching band spends hours outside preparing for the upcoming school year. On July 1, the band spent four hours practicing in the heat.

“The practice times range from 4-10 hours depending on the day. We practice the most during band camp which is the end of July and the beginning of August,” Elise Classen (11) said.

Some people do not understand the time and effort required to be part of the marching band. Others may wonder why students participate, other than their passion for music.

“The best thing about summer practices is getting the new music for the upcoming show. It’s exciting because you finally know what’s going to happen and what we’re going to compete with this year,” Emmanda Mckenzie (11) said.

When new music and members are introduced, more practice is necessary. In order to work well together, the group needs to form relationships as well.

“Summer practices benefit the band a lot. It mostly gets everyone together and helps newbies become as experienced as the upperclassmen. It helps also bring people together so that everyone is comfortable and gets along. It also gives the upperclassmen time to review before the season starts,” Mckenzie said.