Band camp is one of the most fun, difficult, and trying times during any musician’s career. You will gain many great friends, make some great memories, and be pushed to achieve musical greatness as an individual and in an ensemble. As an alumni of the Avon Marching Black & Gold, the Marian University Marching Band and as a staff member of the Greenfield-Central Cougar Pride, I have a plethora of tips to help not only survive band camp, but also to achieve at the highest possible level! While you will achieve greatness, there is no way around band camp being an activity that is strenuous and will require more effort and dedication than almost anything else you will ever do! To help you through this, here is a checklist of things you can do to make sure you are prepared no matter where, when or how you are rehearsing: Stay Hydrated Being hydrated is the easiest thing you can do to achieve at band camp. This is Indiana, and as you already know, Indiana generally has very hot summers! You should fill a one-gallon jug with ice and water. Why one-gallon? This will be enough to get you through every

Here at Paige’s Music, we value the classic insight of “try before you buy”. This is especially pertinent as musical instruments and their accessories are very personal. We encourage you to not only try out different models of instruments, but mouthpieces as well! As a musician myself, I have experienced regret purchasing a mouthpiece based on reviews and prestige rather than actually trying that mouthpiece and comparing it to others. While a specific mouthpiece may be famous, maybe it isn’t quite the perfect fit for you. The great thing is, most manufacturers produce several mouthpieces with similar qualities in a variety of sizes and with slight variations. By trying these mouthpieces out, you’ll find the one that is the right size and with the features and sound you want. When looking to buy an instrument, this same philosophy of “try before you buy” is critical to finding the instrument you need, not just the one you want! For example, if you are looking for a professional trumpet and go by name and reputation alone, you may find that the trumpet has more resistance than you would like. From there, you can try a trumpet with a larger bore or with

One of the most common things looked over in brass and woodwind performance is breathing. If you aren’t breathing well, it is very difficult to achieve a great sound on a wind instrument. The best instruments in the world won’t sound great unless you have great breathing technique! Start by finding your diaphragm. Your diaphragm is the muscle that controls your breathing. To find it, place your hand at the bottom of ribcage and inhale for a deep, relaxed breath. You will feel an expansion as your lungs will with air. Notice how your lungs fill from the bottom, this works just like when you fill a cup with water: from the bottom working its way toward the top. Next, exhale and feel your diaphragm compress and push the air out (think about fogging up a mirror rather than blowing out birthday candles). Perform this exercise repeatedly and become aware of your body’s motion. While performing this exercise, achieve an “O” shape with your mouth and create this open feeling all the way down to your diaphragm. This open shape allows the air to be almost tensionless! You never want to breathe like you’re breathing through a straw. In other