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Yeah band (camp)! Tonganoxie High Marching Chieftains sharpen skills during practice week

By Shawn Linenberger - | Aug 14, 2019

Tonganoxie High School band members practice this past week on the new Beatty Field turf during its band camp.

Tonganoxie High School Marching Band members got to break in the new turf at Beatty Field this past week.

THS band director Charles Van Middelsworth led his students in this year’s band camp.

Van Middlesworth said that 82 THS students participated in this year’s camp, which took place Aug. 5-9 at THS. The members split time with practice between the THS band room and the football field.

Students worked on their competitive marching show, “The Best Years,” as well as various field marching fundamentals.

The squad started its days on the turf and then moved inside for music rehearsals.

Tonganoxie High School band members, from left, Ryan Black, Hayden Heyward and Hunter Calovich create a "campfire" of trumpets during band camp. Other members of the trumpet section followed suit. It was a particuarly warm day when they made their trucket campfires. They joked that it was cold and they needed to warm up by the fire.

Van Middlesworth said that the band worked creatively and collaboratively together as a team to improve the band’s musical performance, while also working on visual marching performances.

Inclement weather postponed a field practice, but thanks to the new field turf at Beatty Field, the band was able to get back on the field sooner for its next outdoor practice.

“Our students were very excited to march on the turf and worked very hard to improve each day,” Van Middlesworth said.

Fans can check out the band in its first performance of the new school year when the Marching Chieftains perform at halftime of the football season opener Sept. 6 against Basehor-Linwood.