Wyandanch Memorial High School reached a new milestone at the close of summer, hosting its first band camp under the direction of band director Nick Liddie. Over five days, as many as 85 students gathered from 2-7 p.m. to rehearse, strengthen their music skills and begin preparing for future field shows.

All participants worked under the marching band umbrella, with students divided among groups including brass and woodwinds, drum line and majorettes. While much of the week focused on getting instruments into students’ hands and working through music, the camp also gave students an opportunity to build fundamentals.

“It was an awesome step forward for us,” Liddie said. “The goal was just to get the instruments in the kids’ hands and to push through the music. There’s a lot of music literacy that we’re still learning, understanding music notation and things like that, but this gave us an opportunity to set a foundation for the year.”

The week also included team-building activities such as Simon Says and a rock-paper-scissors competition, helping students strengthen the connections that are essential to a successful marching ensemble.

“The camaraderie, the will, the commitment, the drive, the humility – all of those things my kids really show, which is why we pushed to make band camp happen,” Liddie said. “It’s going to show its productivity in the future.” 

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