LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Editor's note: This story is part of 9NEWS' "Hearts of Champions" series, where we're highlighting marching bands across the state. Watch our full stories on Fridays at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., and on Saturday mornings all through the month of September. Share your photos and memories with us using #Bandon9.
Bright and early on the practice field at D’Evelyn Jr/Sr High School, students are getting ready for the upcoming season.
Nope, it's not football. It's band camp.
“Our marching band has 88 members this year,” said Band Director Becky Paschke. “And we have a two-week band camp before school starts so we can really prepare our show.”
While most student athletes are getting ready for their upcoming seasons, band members are also getting ready with band camps.
These camps are held in the heat of the summer starting the first weeks of August. They usually last for about two weeks -- and are around 10 hours a day.
Band members do calisthenics, run, and get in shape so they can learn to perform a six-and-a-half minute show, a show they’ll perform while marching, running, playing their instruments and tossing flags.
After camps, its rehearsals before, during and after school to perfect the show that most see during halftime of football games.
In high school, the weekend competitions begin in September, where marching bands compete against each other, culminating into the state championships in November.
“It’s really rigorous,” Paschke said. “If we don’t do this now, we won’t sound good at the end of the season.”
“This just helps us with our strength to be able to play our instruments beautifully,” added sophomore Jackson Hall.
D’Evelyn Jr/Sr High School marching band won the 3A state title last year and its 7th state championship overall.
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