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  • PATTY MILLER | THE EDMOND SUN Memorial High School section leader junior Amber Shelly, junior Emily Smith and ninth-grader Katie Kersjieter stand at attention before practicing a movement during the Summer Band Camp Wednesday.

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  • PATTY MILLER | THE EDMOND SUN With hat on his head and a water pack on his back, senior Phil Pettit stands at attention before taking one of the numerous breaks during Memorial High School's Band Camp Wednesday. Two hundred and fifteen students flooded the football field each morning as temperatures soared well past 100 degrees.

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  • PATTY MILLER | THE EDMOND SUN Trombone section leader Evan Drumm keeps hydrated during a break at Memorial High School's Summer Band Camp. Drumm has been playing a musical instrument since fifth grade.

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Discussion

August 3, 2011

Heat doesn't deter Bulldog band members

Patty Miller The Edmond Sun

EDMOND — It is all about the heat and staying out of it for most people this summer.

Not so for the 215 Memorial High School band members who showed up this week to practice during their Summer Band Camp. While facing record-breaking temperatures, the students were practicing four hours each day.

“Every summer band camp temperatures have been consistently over 100 degrees,” said band director Lynn Ann Feroli, “but not this far over this many days.”

Joining Feroli are band booster parents and five former students all braving the heat this week to help band students get ready for next-year’s football halftime activities and contests.

“These band members are great kids to work with,” said volunteer Jonathan Rubenstein, a senior at the University of Oklahoma. “I got a lot out of band when I was here, and I wanted to give back to the band.”

Drew Taylor, president of the Band Booster Club said, “It’s been a great week.”

Taylor and Equipment Master Jeff Hadley were responsible for building the 53-foot trailer that transports band equipment to contests and games. Together they own Clubhouse Trailers, a business that outfits trailers for bands to use to move their equipment.

“Band Camp is about learning marching fundamentals while getting ready for halftime shows and contests,” Taylor said. “We have a phenomenal group of parents to work with this year.”

One parent, Marnie Sturm, said not every parent takes their vacation to go to Summer Band Camp. She said she does it because she loves the students and to her it is well worth it.

Not only were the parents on the field because they wanted to be, Feroli said the students are on the field because they want to be also.

Senior trombone player Evan Drumm said he has been in the band since the fifth grade.

“I really like being in the band,” Drumm said, “and I like making friends. Band is a good place to do that.”

Drumm said sometimes it is a little hard practicing in the heat but he said he drinks a lot of water and just gets through it.

Feroli tells the students they are the only ones who can tell how they feel in the heat, and they are encouraged to take water breaks as needed.

“We don’t make them feel pressured (to stay on the field),” Feroli said.

In addition to a water break every 15 minutes in the early morning the breaks come more often as the morning gets hotter.

“I don’t ever question them when they leave the field,” Feroli said. “We take a 15-minute rest break and a shade break from 11:15-11:30 a.m.”

Feroli said in addition to sitting under one of the two large tent canopies purchased by the booster club if a student starts feeling the heat, students may go to the air-conditioned press box if they start feeling bad.

“We want to make everyone comfortable,” Feroli said. “The students are here because they want to be, and they know they are responsible for themselves.”

In addition to practicing four hours each day, the section leaders have been showing up with their groups at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. to practice their 3-minute routine and music they will perform later in the week.

Students will be performing at 1:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon at Memorial’s football stadium in front of parents, former band members and anyone adventurous enough to come out to watch.

 “Everyone is welcome to come,” Feroli said, adding there will be cold water on hand for spectators as well as band members.



pmiller@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 171

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