Hard work. These are the words drum major and junior Hunter Reinhardt and senior Martha Arredondo use to describe Summer Band, a type of camp that trains the Leander Band program to prepare them for marching band in the fall that lasts from July 27 until August 20. For the first few weeks it will last from 8 am to 5 pm, while in the week of August 10-13 it runs from noon to 9 pm.

“It usually depends on what we’re working on during that day, but most of the time it is challenging,” Arredondo said. “I’d say it’s different than a normal eight to five job, because you’re doing something you love with people you love.”

Along with the change of time for the camp, there was also a baton pass for the directors, specifically Mr. Nils Gunderson and Mr. Juan Carrera departing and Ms. Ali Carraher and Mr. Michael Zellers being introduced.

“Ms. Carraher has a different teaching style than Mr. Selaiden and Ms. Cross, but is a perfect complement to them, who are intense, while she is calm,” Reinhardt said. “Mr. Zellers has been with us for the past three years and is not a huge change and [he] has fit in nicely with the staff.”

For the first time, the band will join with eight members of the Leander Choir to bring this Henri Matisse inspired show to light. It will also feature the song “Once Upon Another Time” by the Grammy Award winner/singer Sara Bareilles in the show’s second part, known as the ballad. Electronic artist Son Lux and composer Philip Glass will also be featured.

Along with this music they’re playing they will also be moving two to three dozen coral props around the field. In addition to Summer Band, the program also has 2-3 hour rehearsals nearly every day after school when it’s in full swing until roughly the end of October, when they’ll perform their show titled “Choral Works” against a large field of competitors at Bands of America at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

“After doing so well with ‘Color Study’ last year, we’ve all been thinking about what can we do next,” Arredondo said. “With a new leader team, techs, and staff members, we’ve been able to push ourselves harder, and get more done than we did last year.”

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