With camp now in full swing, everything seems to be moving at full speed, and the marching band division is no exception. On Tuesday the students were still utilizing their music stands to practice, but it won’t be long before they put that music on the move.  At the Music for All Summer Symposium, they learn quality marching techniques from some of the best staff in the business, including Bands of America Hall of Famer Richard Saucedo. This year is special because not only will the students be playing the National Anthem for the DCI show, but they will also be playing the Australian National Anthem in honor of the students attending camp all the way from Australia. After their anthem performance, all of their practice and hard work will culminate with an on-field performance with our resident drum corps, Carolina Crown.

As a previous marching band division camper myself, I cannot describe the feeling of being able to perform alongside such a professional group as Carolina Crown. The corps members actually seem to be more excited about the opportunity to perform with the students than the other way around. They always show up to practice with a positive mentality and are just a sheer joy to be around. This experience is actually what led me to join The BlueCoats when I graduated high school. Now back this summer as an intern, I’ve learned that even though the faces around camp change, the pursuit of providing excellence and a positively life-changing experience never changes.

With an amazing staff mentoring the students and a once in a lifetime performance awaiting them at the end of their camp experience, this will be a week each marching member will take home and remember forever. Speaking from experience, there is nowhere else a student can get this opportunity than Music for All’s Summer Symposium,  and this year is no exception.