DEFIANCE: July 30, 2014: The Wauseon High School Marching Band, under the direction of Band Director Eric Bosewell and Assistant Band Director Jason Lozar took the Indian Band to Defiance College July 27 through July 31 for summer camp. Seventy-three of the seventy-five members of the 2014 – 2015 Marching Band made the five day trip, where the students spent the camp period in the dorms together, bonding into what is year after year one of Northwest Ohio’s finest High School Marching Bands. Hosting the Wauseon Band this year was Defiance College Director of Bands’ Bri Olenik, while on field assistance and direction was provided by a group of Bowling Green State University Band Members, who provided valuable assistance in helping students understand and coordinate various “sets.”
Students attending this year’s camp received a variety of instruction and practice in formation movement and placement, as well as marching techniques in the five day session. The Wauseon Band, according to Director Bosewll, has 69 “Charts ,” which are band member positions, and are illustrated in a handheld booklet called “drill charts.” Drill charts show where each person stands during each set of the show. The drill charts include yard lines and hashes as they would be on an actual football field, which shows the band members where to stand in relation to the yard lines and hashes.
During “field time,” the band has been able to put in over 30 show charts, which will enable the marching Band as a whole during the fall season to successfully implement the entire range of show selections proficiently and with the pride the Marching Indian Band is well known for.
I addition to the field instruction, students also received significant instruction time and practice on the march. The band members learned from both senior leaders in the band and from the other camp instructors key elements and attention to detail in the techniques required for on the march “drill.”
The Wauseon Marching Band will debut their 2014 -2015 season on August 2, in the Wauseon Summer Homecoming Parade in downtown Wauseon, followed by a selection of performances on Harmon Field at 2:00 p.m. The festivities are free to the public and the members of the band will be using the weekend as a capstone event following summer camp to showcase their 2014 debut. From the spirited way in which the students enthusiastically embraced the instruction at camp, to the bonding and close teamwork the band demonstrated on July 30 during “The Village Reporter’s” visit to Defiance College, it is clear that The Wauseon Indian Marching Band will once again be one of Northwest Ohio’s finest on the field this fall!