North musicians go to band camp
Even though many of these kids have been through the grind for years, when it comes to July, they start all over again with the basics.
The North Fort Myers High School marching band treats its annual band camp as if they are doing it for the first time (for some newcomers, they are), and while it may seem redundant for some, it is this attention to detail that has made this band among the best in the state.
Band director Sara Johnson has turned things around in the three years she has been at North, with a second straight trip to states last year which has helped bring in more talent and made this the largest band the school has had in years.
“Every year, I’m able to raise my expectations which is great when you’re a teacher. The kids reach a higher level and it’s rewarding to watch,” Johnson said.
The band started this year’s work before last school year ended, with small clinics and other small practices, with Johnson literally teaching how to take a step and building on from there. Johnson said that has put the team way ahead of where they were at this point last year.
At band camp, the kids are immersed in music every weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for two weeks. Much of the marching is done in the morning, with indoor musical instruction in the afternoon.
On this day, Johnson had her horn section in the gym march while enclosing and enlarging in a circle before going outside late in the morning to work on fast marching frontwards, backwards, left and right, finishing with a drill down (also known as “Sara Says”), with the band doing whatever was ordered by the coach perfectly or being called out.
Johnson said the band has done well so far, even if the heat as made things a little rough.
“The heat hasn’t done us any favors. It was 111 degrees the other day and one of my main priorities is keeping the kids safe,” Johnson said. “That’s a job in itself.”
The band will have about 150 members this year, a 25 percent increase over last year.
Evin Exposito, a senior tuba player, said the hard work they have all made had paid off so far. The focus is on the music before applying the marching to it.
“We’re doing marching basics and anything toward the show such as learning music,” Exposito said. “Everything we will dedicate toward the season. The heat is a struggle, but we seem to manage it well.”
Joshua Torres, a junior trumpet player, said he has improved a lot, especially since the first day of freshman year when he threw up in his first practice then broke his leg halfway through the season.
“From there, I’ve been trying to catch up and I’ve been doing a lot better with my marching,” Torres said. “I would like to continue to march better and put on the best show we can.”
Johnson’s goals are a little simpler than returning to states. They mostly match what Torres thinks, which is to put on a show that reaches people and hopefully make them want to be a part of it.
“My goal is to keep growing the program and putting on a good show and attracting the crowd that makes you want to get engaged,” Johnson said. “The kids want to be great and put in the time.”