The notorious marching arts clinic known as the Pride of the Mountains Summer Symposium has had yet another successful summer term as close by band students came from all over to be trained for leadership from July 10-15.
With success from the previous years to fall back on, the Pride of the Mountains has been able to continue this leadership band program for several years, making the clinic a necessity for all those inspired band geeks.
Of course, at this clinic being a band geek is just about the coolest thing one could be. With daily conducting and leadership sessions, as well as working with members of Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corp., being a band geek is truly a way of life at Symposium.
Its popularity has grown tremendously, but of course there are those devoted band leaders who return to symposium year after year.
Kelsie Carnes, a senior and former drum major at her high school, returned to symposium this summer for the third year in row.
“The staff was very prepared to confront any situation a student needed to address to their band back home,” said Carnes. “Everyone was very caring and would go out of their way to see a student succeed.”
The participants at camp learned about leadership through a variety of different communication and leadership games, while bonding with one another in various groups to instill the idea od team work. The games are intended to help students analyze thier communication skills, and better expand them.
Symposium students were able to watch a Carolina Corwn Drum and Bugle Corp. rehearsal, and were also able to demonstrate how they warm up their instruments and how they practice their music.
Final performances at the end of the week demonstrated the skills that were learned at camp. These performances included the drum majors showing off their conducting skills, the wind track marching and playing “Cat Scratch Fever,” the color guard showing off their flag work routine, and of course the drum line gave a demonstration of their newly learned beats.
“My most memorable experience at camp would be the drum major’s final wrap up when students shared with everyone how Summer Symposium has changed them in some way,” said Carnes. “We were all connected even though we had only known each other for about 4 days. I wish I could have loaded all of them on a bus and brought them back with me to be in my band.”
After days of conducting or learning music, symposium had to eventually come to an end with a memorable camp video which showcased the memories created throughout the week.
The teamwork developed at Summer Symposium not only builds leaders that support our marching bands everywhere, but it also gives students a special confidence which makes them proud and determined to be the best leader they can be. Whether it’s a drum major participating, or a color guard, Summer Symposium helps students learn their place as leaders and teaches them what it takes to be successful.
“The most important thing I learned was that what I do as a drum major is an art,” said Carnes. “I must go forth confidently to create and the journey is more important then the destination. That’s where the art is created”.
