Petoskey Marching Northmen

This week, I’ve felt like more of a single child than I have in quite a long time.  Of course, I was away from my family at college, but being at home with only my parents is not something I’m used to for any length of time.  Now, my sisters (and a couple hundred other band kids) are only out of Petoskey until this Friday, but I’m enjoying my time at home relatively alone as long as I can.  So where have all of these instrument-toting students disappeared to for a week of their summer vacation?  Ferris State University for band camp – also known as about nine hours of marching band practice every day.

This year, the Petoskey Marching Northmen are Stepping in Time to a Mary Poppins show.  The students have had sectionals a couple of days per week this summer and now they’re working tirelessly to put all of the pieces together at band camp.  When they get back, it’ll be a bit of time off before three evening practices a week until school starts.  Then more sectionals, practice every morning, and a night practice or two during the week.  All of that hard work pays off, though.  The Marching Northmen perform at halftime of the football games and march in parades throughout the year.  Additionally, the marching band takes home multiple awards (and usually first place and grand champion) at each of the few competitions they attend every fall.  This year, they’re set to go to the Red Flannel Festival and festivals in DeWitt and Jenison.

Here at Grandpa Shorter’s, we’ve had our fair share of band kids.  Tara (saxophone), Rachel (baritone/euphonium), and I(clarinet/drum major) all did band throughout high school and spent our fair share of time out on the AstroTurf.  We’re currently missing Elise (clarinet) and Cooper (snare) for their last and first years, consecutively.  If you get a chance, I would definitely recommend getting out to watch at least one of their performances.  Or, to catch up on past seasons, check them out on YouTube!  It’s wonderful to see their hard work pay off and I get incredibly proud any time I see them perform.