BAND CAMP 2006

JULY 30 - AUGUST 4

LIONS CAMP CRESCENDO

LEBANON JUNCTION, KENTUCKY

This year marked the beginning of  a new tradition for the LCC Marching Thunderbirds as we ventured away from the comfort of our homes in Lima to attend the very first band camp away from LCC.  Thanks to the generosity of the Lima Host Lions Club, we were able to raise enough money to attend the Lions Camp Crescendo in Lebanon Junction, Kentucky.  Even though we went during the hottest week in years, we managed not to melt and had a great time working on our first halftime show of the season.  Take a minute to look at some of the pictures from our week at camp.

Getting "pumped up" with some cheers upon arriving at camp on Sunday night

No rest for the weary!  After the 4.5 hour drive down to Kentucky, we took advantage of the remaining sunlight to work on some marching fundamentals.

Time for a MARCH-OFF!!  We ended every evening rehearsal with a march-off to find the last man (or woman) standing.  Our winners for the week were:  James M. (twice), Ryan B. (twice), and Katie K.

For every day of the week, Seniors chose a theme.  All band members dressed up for the theme days, and a winner was chosen for each day.  Everyone enjoyed Monday's theme, "Pajama and Bedhead Day."  The winner was James M.!

Tuesday's theme was "Monochromatic Day."  Students were asked to dress in the same color from head to toe.  The winner was Ryan B.  He even painted his socks and shoes to match!  It wasn't hard to spot him on the field dressed in bright yellow, especially when he paired up with Amy in bright pink!

We got a few strange looks from other campers on Wednesday, "Opposite Sex Day," but we had a great time getting in touch with our feminine and masculine sides!  Winners for the day were James M. and Elspeth N.

Our last theme was "Dress as your favorite storybook character."  The low brass section and woodwind section teamed up to represent the seven dwarfs.  Emily had an easy time portraying her character, "Sleepy," especially at our 6:00am rehearsal!  Winners for the day were Chris T. and Stephanie S., who dressed as Hansel and Gretel (not shown).

All work and no play is never good!  We took a little time to relax and cool off by the pool every day.

Team work at its best!  Ray helps Katie learn the new drum cadence.

Our day started at 6:00am and ended at 9:30pm every day.  There were very few complaints, though.  Everyone knew we had a lot of work to get done in a short amount of time, and they stepped up for the challenge.  We spent our evening rehearsals putting the finishing touches on the drill we learned earlier in the day.  The sunsets provide a beautiful setting, but we enjoyed them more for the much-needed relief from the heat of the day.

The Talent Show on Tuesday night gave Ray a chance to show off his "rapping" skills, while Robert provided a "beat box" behind him.  It was a real crowd-pleaser for the 500+ band students at the camp.

Robert took the chance to show off again, as he joined Taylor in singing a song by Pink Floyd.  They represented LCC quite well!

While the meals at Camp Crescendo weren't QUITE as good as our home-cooked meals back home, we all looked forward to a break in the air-conditioned cafeteria three times a day!

Our senior Field Commanders, Stephanie and Chris, hard at work in the hot sun.  They did a great job keeping everyone on task.

HOME AT LAST!  We returned home to LCC on Friday to perform for our parents and friends.  It was great to be able to show everyone what we accomplished after a week of hard work. 

Other 2006 Award Recipients

Best New Marcher - Female:  Kristina A.

Best New Marcher - Male:  Robert B.

Bew Veteran Marcher - Female:  Katie K.

Best Veteran Marcher - Male:  James M.

Most Improved Marcher:  Mark S.

Outstanding Attitude Award:  Nathan G.

Inspiring Spirit Award:  Michael S.

Lions Camp Crescendo Outstanding Camper:  James M.

National Band Association Award:  Ryan B.