GREENFIELD — Putting in 12-hour days for two weeks straight is a lot to ask of anyone, but students at Greenfield-Central High School are gladly logging the time.
All 140 members of the school’s Cougar Pride Marching Band have been gathering at the school each weekday for the past two weeks for band camp, from 9 in the morning until 9 at night.
Camp started July 12 and ends today, July 23.
Band camp is a summertime rite of passage for students throughout Hancock County.
Camps have also been underway at Mt. Vernon, New Palestine and Eastern Hancock high schools this week, with students putting in long hours in preparation for the annual state marching band contest hosted by the Indiana State School Music Association. The finals take place Nov. 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
It’s an exciting time for student musicians who were robbed of the chance to compete last year, after COVID forced officials to cancel all competitions.
It was heartbreaking seeing seniors not being able to compete their final year, said Greenfield-Central’s band director, Chris Wing.
“The kids are coming off a unique year. They’re knocking the rust off after not getting to compete last year. The freshmen and sophomores have never competed,” said Wing, who has led the Cougar Pride since 2012.
Since then, he’s led the band to three state finals, winning the first state championship in the school’s history in 2019.
The band was runner-up in the Class B competition in 2016 and 2018, among schools of similar size.
A big part of the band’s success is rooted in the time they share at band camp, said Wing, which teaches more than just music. It also instills teamwork and discipline.
“This is where we build our culture,” Wing said. “There’s a lot of team building and learning about each other. The kids learn to rely on each other, and they see that their success is dependent on each other’s success.”
Senior saxophone player JJ Mitchell said the team-building exercises are the best part of camp.
“We have Band Olympics where we do things like relay races and lip sync battles and get to know each other. The time really flies,” he said.
JJ joined the band his sophomore year and quickly fell in love with the art of marching while playing music.
He’s especially excited about this year’s show — “Ramped Up” — which incorporates high-energy sound with a series of elevated ramps that promises a visually and audibly stunning performance.
“It’s fun to be with your friends creating something that is artistic, then get the chance to show it off to everyone,” JJ said. “My junior year, I didn’t get to perform competitively, so my senior year I’m excited to give it my all.”
Junior Kylie Huffman, 16, is also excited about this year’s show. Since the seventh grade, she’s been a member of the Cougar Pride color guard, which lends a visual element to the band through choreographed dance and a variety of props like colorful flags.
She loves the team-building that takes place at band camp, where band and color guard members get to know each other and develop bonds that will hopefully elevate their performances.
The key to success is performing as a team, not a group of individuals, said senior Jack Mecklenburg, 17.
“At camp, we learn to build each other up. When you perform, you need to be thinking about each other, not yourself,” said the young musician, echoing the same sentiment shared by his director.
As a senior, Jack is achieving his dream of becoming a student leader, leading a group of four younger musicians.
“I get to incorporate everything I’ve learned and step up the next generation of mellophones,” he said.
Watching the youngest players connect with fellow band members and start to grow is the best part about band camp, said Wing, who has been leading high school bands since 2004.
A shiny ISSMA state championship ring from 2019 sits in a plastic glass box on his desk in an otherwise sparsely decorated office — a little reminder of what’s possible if a band of over 100 teenage musicians learn to be selfless and perform as one.
