Band Camp: Where Lifelong Friendships Begin

The uniforms will change, the seasons will pass, but many of the friendships formed on this field will last a lifetime.

As you stand on the practice field during band camp and look around at the band members beside you, you may think you're simply seeing trumpet players, clarinet players, percussionists, color guard members, and drum majors.

But if you look a little closer, you'll see something much more remarkable.

You are surrounded by future doctors, engineers, teachers, business leaders, nurses, scientists, military officers, entrepreneurs, software developers, artists, and community leaders and yes, even future band directors. You are standing among some of the most dedicated, disciplined, and successful young people in your school.

For more than forty years, researchers have studied music students and especially band

members, tracking not only their achievements in high school but also where life takes them after graduation. What they discovered is both inspiring and exciting.

Your Fellow Band Members Are Exceptional

The musicians and auxiliary members sharing this field with you today are among the most accomplished young people in America.

They tend to earn higher grades than their non-musical peers.
They develop stronger critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
They read at more advanced levels and possess larger vocabularies.
They demonstrate greater discipline, responsibility, and perseverance.
They are more likely to attend school regularly and graduate from high school.
They develop stronger memory skills and enhanced brain development through music study.
They are less likely to experience disciplinary issues.
They build friendships that cross social, cultural, and economic boundaries.
They have some of the lowest rates of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use among all student groups.

When you look across the field, you are looking at people as who have chosen to work hard, sacrifice time, pursue excellence, and become part of something larger than themselves.

The Future Is Standing Beside You

Many of the friendships formed during band camp will last far beyond high school.

The people laughing beside you during water breaks, helping you learn drill, carrying equipment, or sharing a stand during rehearsal are often the same people who will celebrate your successes years from now.

Research shows that band members are among the most college-bound students in America.

What Happens After Graduation?

Among today's band members:

86.4% will attend college.
91.2% will earn scholarship assistance beyond government aid.
47.9% will continue performing in collegiate ensembles regardless of their major.
16.8% will pursue music-related degrees.
88.4% will graduate from college.
46.4% will continue into graduate or advanced study.

Many will pursue careers in:

Computer Science and Information Technology
Business and Entrepreneurship
Health Care and Medicine
Engineering
Education – Especially Music Education
Financial Services
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Visual and Performing Arts
Psychology
Law
Communications and Journalism
Public Service and countless other professions

More Than a Band

What makes band camp special isn't simply the music.

It is the relationships.

It is the shared experience of working together toward a common goal.

It is the long rehearsals, inside jokes, bus rides, section traditions, performances, victories, challenges, and memories that become part of your story.

Years from now, many of you may not remember every show you performed or every drill set you marched.

But you will remember the people.

You will remember who stood beside you.

You will remember who helped you.

You will remember who became your friends.

The Statistics You Won't Find Anywhere Else

As you look around your band today, consider this:

Some of these band members will become your lifelong friends.
Some will become your future roommates.
Some will become your future coworkers.
Some will become your professional colleagues.

And according to long-term observations of band alumni:

Approximately 18% of you will make college decisions together and attend the same college or university, regardless of what major each of you chooses.
Approximately 1% of you will find your future husband or wife somewhere within this band program, get married, and eventually raise children together.

Final Note

Band camp is not simply the beginning of a marching season.

It is the beginning of relationships that may shape the rest of your life.

So as you look around today, don't just see the instrument.

Don't just see the uniform.

Don't just see the performer.

See the future doctor.

See the future engineer.

See the future teacher.

See the future entrepreneur.

See the future leader.

See the future friend.

Because standing beside you today are some of the people who may help define your future—and whose lives may be forever changed because they shared this field with you.