Members of the Hillsborough High School Raider Marching Band attended a week-long marching band camp this summer that was anything but "vacation time" for the young musicians.
"I never realized how much I appreciated good meals, hot showers, a soft bed and my mother," said sophomore saxophonist Lauren Scrocca.
She might have been speaking for the entire.
For the second year, the band disappeared into the hills of northwest Sussex County for an intensive week of field drill and sectional rehearsal. The practice was introduced last year by second year Director of Bands Julie Haran.
"The idea is quite simple," said Ms. Haran. "No outside distractions. Complete focus and concentration. It’s hard, hot work but it pays off."
Indeed. Last year, with a stunning performance at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field, the band marched off with the state USSBA (United States Scholastic Band Association) Group3A Championship.
This years show is built around Gustav Holst’s classic orchestral suite, "The Planets." The show includes the movements Jupiter (the Bringer of Jollity), Venus (the Bringer of Peace) and Uranus (the Magician). The intricate show features silver marching sequences. Trivia buffs should recognize the music from Uranus, used extensively in the old Flash Gordon serials.
But it all goes down at Band Camp. And for many it goes down hard.
"I was never so sore in my life," said Whitni Ward. "There are muscles hurting me that I didn’t even know I had."
I can’t believe how much work this is," agreed Mandee Watkins. "It seems like as soon as we lay down to rest, we’re jumping up to practice again."
But less one interprets this as complaining, be advised that every member of the band knows exactly what they’ve signed up for.
"We’ve made such amazing progress," said Melody Springer. "We’re way ahead of where we were at this point last year."
"Words cannot express the intensity of this experience," added Glenn Korzin," But that’s what it takes to competesuccessfully."
Due to the band’s growth since last year’s championship season, the Raiders will be moving up to Group 4 competition.
This year’s competition schedule includes the Central Jersey Regionals at College of New Jersey’s’ beautiful Lions Stadium, the Yamaha Cup Championships in Union and the Group 4 Championships at the new Harbor Yard Stadium in Bridgeport, Conn. The band will also compete at numerous band festivals including East Brunswick, Edison, South Brunswick, North Warren and Mount Olive.
The Raiders will also host their own home Marching Band Festival on Oct. 14.
Ms. Haran, who has already engineered a minor renaissance in the HHS music program, is both impressed and excited.
"Last year’s success was a credit to an amazing group of kids who saw how far hard work and dedication could bring them," said Ms. Haran. "Right now this band really appears to believe in itself."
A belief honed by sweat and hard work on that hot dusty, sun-drenched field in the hills of Sussex County.

