Camp: A usually rural place for recreation often during the summer.
Practice: Doing an activity over and over again in order to become better at it.
With that said, Summer Band Practice jumpstarted the Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band into the new season by educating the new members in the discipline of marching and giving a refresher to the seasoned members. Though spanning two weeks in August, practice may not have been as relaxed or slow-paced as one would expect. In fact, by the end of the two weeks, the freshmen who came in knowing next to nothing about the intricacies of performing in a marching band could march and perform the songs in this year’s Disney themed lineup!
Donovan Putnam, JURB Director, awaits Summer Band practice every year because he says, “One of the the things I enjoy most is being able to teach a lot.” Elaborating, Mr. Putnam goes on to say that paperwork and other duties that go along with running the band impede his direct interaction with students on a daily basis. Because of this, Summer Band Practice becomes a very valuable time in which Putnam says the learning and practicing of music takes precedent. “It was a very strong freshman class,” Putnam remarks, showing that he has full confidence that the new members had made great progress in learning both the music and the marching during the two weeks. In closing, Putnam says “We [the directors] are very excited about the show this year and hope to see people come to the football game and halftime show!” Remember to get a Ranger Dog when you’re at the game to support your Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band!
Drum Major Jake Radcliff ‘15, admitted that the most difficult part of the summer practice is getting the freshmen “up to speed on every single aspect of marching” due to the sheer amount of drills, commands, and maneuvers that need to be learned. However, this year seems like it might have been an exception. “It usually takes a couple of days to get all [the freshmen] up to speed,” but this year all the main fundamentals were learned “within the first couple of hours.” Although this was Radcliff’s last Summer Band Practice, he learned many new lessons and gained insights. For the first time, both Drew Curran ’15 and Radcliff lead the band in a type of leadership role neither had previously experienced. “It’s different being the leader of everybody opposed to being a leader of a group of six to seven people,” said Radcliff. In a way, Summer Band Practice exists to not only brush up on the fundamentals of marching but also give the new leaders, from drum majors to class representatives, a chance to learn their new roles in the band.
While Summer Band Practice may have marked beginnings, it also marked the beginning of ends. For example, Dominic Iannelli ’15 said he “can’t believe [this year’s Summer Band Practice was] my last one.” When senior year comes around, students start to think about gatherings and events as their last and reflect. “The time has really flown by,” Iannelli contemplated. Though his last, he believes that this season’s Disney show is “going to be an awesome end to my marching band career.”
From the fast-leaning freshmen to the experienced seniors, the 2014 Summer Band Practice drilled the Jesuit Ursuline Ranger Band back into shape to give the Friday night crowds the best show possible. This success could not have been achieved, according to the members, without the most integral part of the practice: Fla-Vor-Ice.
