Rookie marchers learn to march without instruments, practicing side-glide movement and maneuvers in step in all directions while facing forward.

“It’s been a great start,” says BISD director of bands Kevin Arnott.  “Section leaders are doing great teaching the rookies to march. This is going to be a strong band!"

For the first two weeks of summer band camp, freshmen new to marching band learned fundamentals of marching during early morning instruction. The full band met all together on the north parking lot for the rest of the mornings to learn positions and directions for this year’s marching show.  Yard lines, hash marks, and position intervals are painted onto the asphalt to aid students as they learn their steps, spacing and positions within fast-paced, complex maneuvers.  After lunch, sections divided into instrument groupings to improve and perfect musical selections for halftime shows and competition performances.

The show for this year is titled "Mission 2K4," Based on the mission to Mars and the Mars Rover. 

Students and directors are also excited to be able to march on Greyhound Stadium’s new artificial turf. 

“Grass just wasn’t durable enough to withstand repeated marching practice,” Arnott explained.  Therefore, students were rarely able to rehearse in a setting very similar to performance conditions. “Now, once we have the show learned, we’ll be practicing on the field about three times a week.  We’ll have more opportunities to march in the stadium.  That’s a good thing.”