More than 200 members of the band department gathered on the lower field at 9 a.m. on Aug. 6 to officially kick off band camp, spending a grueling two weeks of 12-hour days reviewing marching and music basics. From 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., band members learned their new field show for the upcoming competition season under the sweltering heat.
Under the instruction of Jonathan Pwu, Michael Boitz, Travis Gould and Paul Lynch, the band has seen an influx of additional staff to the program this year.
Lynch, the new visuals director in charge of coordinating the field show and assisting in aiding in marching techniques, has numerous years of experience under his belt and formerly worked with James Logan High School.
“Lynch has an individualistic style and is bringing new ideas to the band,” sophomore flutist Nihar Agrawal said.
Sophomore clarinetist Michael Guo saw band camp as an early welcome for freshmen to the high school.
“The two weeks were fun because we got to hang out with a lot of upperclassmen before school started,” Guo said. “It lets the freshmen walk into school on the first day knowing more people and feeling more comfortable.”
After two weeks of hard work, the band and Color Guard were able to perform the new skills they learned in band camp at the annual “informance,” where parents, teachers and recent graduates are able to preview the new field show. The audience was also able to participate in the informance by coming down to the field and taking the place of a band member.
Each section within the band performed an individual segment before finally coming together as a whole ensemble. The finale of the Friday night performance showcased a two-minute preview of “The Year Eternal,” the school’s field show for the year.
“I thought the informance was fantastic, and the kids accomplished a lot during the showcase,” Boitz said. “All of the different elements of the band program worked really well, and it was a lot of fun to show those that came to watch.”
The band continues to learn and work on its field show with weekly practices on Thursday nights, Saturdays and Wednesday mornings.
“It’s really fun to learn the show drill and see the different shapes and forms being made on the field,” junior mellophonist Josh Pi said. “I’m really anticipating when we get to see the whole show come together at the competitions this year.”
The band will be attending their first competition of the year at the Cupertino Tournament of Bands on Oct. 12.
Boitz is not concerned with trophies or placement when it comes to the band’s performance in future competitions.
“The awards come along with doing, but we really just want the kids to feel the exhilaration of a great performance, and to learn to love music and to love the activity,” Boitz said. “We would just like the kids to walk away knowing that they did their best.”
