The Pride of the West believes that a strong show starts with a successful band camp. As such, attendance at Band Camp is mandatory for students to receive a marching spot in the show. Drill spots are assigned at camp, so students simply must attend to earn a spot. Students who do not attend Band Camp will not receive a spot in the show and will be placed on “alternate” status.
Band camp is held just prior to school starting at the end of summer break, normally starting the last weekend of July. It is five days in duration with students arriving on Saturday and returning home the following Wednesday. The camp is staffed with a high chaperone to student ratio. The cost includes transportation, accommodations, food, and marching show shirt.
A typical day at Band Camp includes a variety of activities to help the band members learn the show and grow as a team. The season’s show music and drill are practiced daily. Sectional rehearsals and drill clinics help with specific skills. It’s not all work and no play though! Team bonding events such as sectional skits, class color day, and bonfire s’mores roast give the band members some welcome breaks.
- Expect to work and to work hard
- Expect to develop stamina – both mental and physical
- Expect to be pushed towards excellence by the directors, your peers and yourself
- Expect to make great new friends
- Expect to be proud of the hard work you will put into making the Pride Of The West Band one of the best bands around
Chaperones
The Band Aides provides parent chaperones at a minimum of a 1:10 ratio. Volunteers need to complete DVUSD volunteer training every three years, submit DVUSD volunteer paperwork and must have a valid fingerprint clearance card. If you do not have a card you will need to go to a LiveScan Az location to get that done prior to the May 15, 2024. https://www.arizonalivescan.com.
We are also offering fingerprinting at MRHS at 10:30 AM on Start Up Day: Saturday, May 11, 2024. There is a cost involved ($109 to “Arizona Livescan”).
Over the summer, the school district verifies all chaperones and by mid-July the final list of chaperones will be distributed. Please email volunteering@mrhsbandaides.com with any volunteering questions and complete the sign-up listed at the top of this page.
Tuesday May 16, 2023 – Band Camp Chaperones Deadline – If you are interested in chaperoning Band Camp in July, please fill out our interest form here. The deadline to sign up is May 16th. No chaperones will be approved if they have not signed up and submitted their volunteer paperwork.
Parent Performance
On the last day of camp, the students will be giving a marching exhibition and music performance for families and friends.
It’s always fun to see the kids at this early stage of the marching season and compare it with what you see and hear at the ABODA State Marching Band Championships™!
The Parent Performance starts at 10:00 am but it takes a while to park and get to the field for the performance. You will want to bring a chair for the show since the bleacher seating is very minimal.
There is not a lot of parking at Pine Summit Camp, so vehicles will need to park behind each other. In 2021, there was a lot of rain the day of the performance and visibility was minimal. Rain or shine – it may take some time to get all of the vehicles out, so please be patient. We want everyone to have a safe departure!
Details, Details, Details…
Band Camp is normally held at the Pine Summit Camp outside of Prescott, AZ. Dates and other specifics will be provided closer to the start of camp each year.
- The cost for Band Camp is $350 for students and chaperones. This covers all expenses, including transportation to/from, lodging and meals while at camp, camp t-shirt, lodging, camp staff, etc.
- There is an additional charge for special dietary requests (i.e. gluten free, vegetarian, vegan).
- There will be a mandatory parent/student meeting held at MRHS on the morning of the first day of camp.
- Students with schedule conflicts should contact the Band Office as soon as possible.
- Please note that limited Band Camp scholarships are available, based on financial need. Contact the Band Office for more information.