USBands

Searching for a way to stay busy, take your skills to a new level, and have a ton of fun this summer? Look no further! Come join USBands and The Blue Devils at our 2024 Summer Education Camps in California and Texas!


Southern California: July 27-29

Location TBD


DCI Event Included- Walnut, CA June 29

(Transportation to DCI Event is not included)





Houston, TX: July 16-17

Location TBD


DCI Event Included - TBD (July 19)


These multi-day camps are specially designed to feature four main tracks – Leadership (open to everyone, including drum majors!), Percussion, Color Guard, and Educators – with engaging and informational sessions tailored to fit each group. Along with these exciting learning opportunities, our summer camps include meals, a t-shirt, a DCI event ticket, and time to interact with members and staff from The Blue Devils! Spend time this summer elevating your skills and preparing for the next level of your marching arts journey.


Housing
Housing is not provided, but check out our FAQs for discounted hotel rates as available. Each camp's schedule varies slightly.

What to Bring
All students (including drum majors and those in the leadership track) should bring their woodwind, brass, flag/rifle, or percussion instrument (including carrier/stand). Musicians should also bring a 3-ring binder with sheet protectors for music and a folding stand. All participants, including the leadership track, will integrate directly with The Blue Devil performers and learn from the staff.

Professional Development Credit
USBands recognizes and supports teachers' and administrators' need for continuing professional development. Educators can receive professional development credit through USBands events. A certificate verifying the hours attended will be available for those seeking professional development credit. Note: Professional development accreditation is through Sterling University. We recommend that educators communicate with their school districts to ensure local requirements are met.

Group discounts available:

  • 5% discount for 5-9 people
  • 10% discount for 10-14 people
  • 20% discount for 15+ people

And one free educator registration for every ten students! Contact [email protected] for details.

Act early to lock in a discounted registration rate. Prices increase by $50 one week before the event begins.

If you are interested in one of our multi-day events or complimentary music educator's receptions, visit usbands.org/education.

What local hotels are available?

Coming Soon

Is transportation to the DCI Event included?

No transportation is included.
You will need to get to the DCI
event on your own, but we will
provide you with a ticket to the event.
Southern California
All times are approximate
Thursday:
9am - Check-in Starts
10am - Opening Session
6pm - Dismissal

Friday:
9am - Sessions Start
6pm - Dismissal

Saturday:
12pm - Sessions Start
4pm - Final Dismissal & Student Pick-Up
6pm - 10pm DCI Event at the Rose Bowl

(Lunch is provided on Thursday and Friday)

Houston
Tuesday:
9am - Check-in Starts
10am - Opening Session
9pm - Dismissal

Wednesday:
9am - Sessions Start
9pm - Dismissal (optional - stay until 10pm to watch the rest of The Blue Devils rehearsal)

(Lunch and dinner provided on Tuesday and Wednesday)

The leadership track is available to everyone, including current section/squad leaders, captains, drum majors, drill instructors, and officers. We also welcome aspiring leaders and those who may not have “official” leadership titles but still want to develop their leadership skills. (Ages 14 and up).

Students (including drum majors) should bring their woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument (including carrier/stand). Color guard leaders should bring a flag and/or rifle. All leaders will integrate directly with The Blue Devil performers and learn from the staff.

USBands Leadership is “reality” leadership. The curriculum is designed to offer a combination of information-rich motivational workshops and activity-based initiatives with clear takeaways. Each USBands Leadership event brings culture to the forefront and focuses on four primary areas critical to student leader effectiveness: Performance Excellence, Humble Followership, Effective Communication, and Teaching Ability. Students will learn the tools and strategies to help make an immediate difference when they return to their programs.

Specific content includes:
  • Procedures and strategies for effective peer teaching
  • How effective leaders communicate
  • The four components of leadership effectiveness
  • Seven levels of thinking and rehearsal awareness
  • Characteristics of high-quality leaders
  • Conducting skills (for drum majors). Note: our workshops do not address mace or military-style baton skills.

Most workshops feature side-by-side experiences with the members and staff of The Blue Devils, where students learn and rehearse ensemble exercises and excerpts from the current Blue Devils field production.

We also offer drum major and advanced leadership breakout sessions for returning USBands workshop attendees.

Drum major breakouts include:

  • Conducting fundamentals
  • Understanding how pulse and tempo maintenance are affected by staging
  • Rehearsal management and pacing

Breakouts for returning leadership campers include:

  • Advanced communication skills
  • Advanced teaching skills
  • Advanced rehearsal techniques

USBands percussion events are for students who are enthusiastic about marching percussion technique and performance. The workshops are designed for beginner, intermediate, and advanced performers, ages 13 and up, and include instruction on snare, tenor, and bass. The focus is on establishing solid technique and applying it to individual skills and ensemble performance. Specific content includes:

  • Extensive overview of Blue Devils technique
  • How to prepare for live performance
  • Exercises in creating consistency through technique
  • How to set proficiency goals and achieve them
  • Exploring improvisation in tempo
  • Exposure to diverse styles of drumming
  • Q&A session with the BD drum line and Scott Johnson (at select events)
  • Tips on how to prepare for an audition

One of the unique and most exciting components of USBands educational workshops is the personal interaction with the instructors and members of the DCI World Champion Blue Devils!

Students who are passionate about contemporary color guard technique and performance are well suited for USBands color guard events. The workshops are designed for beginner, intermediate, and advanced performers, ages 13 and up, and include instruction on movement, flag, and rifle. Sessions will focus on establishing solid technique and applying it to individual skills and ensemble performance. Specific content includes:

  • Overview of equipment technique
  • How to prepare for live performance
  • Exercises in creating consistency through technique
  • How to set proficiency goals and achieve them
  • Exploring improvisation
  • Exposure to diverse styles of choreography
  • Understanding and identifying performance quality
  • Q&A session with Blue Devils Color Guard alumni
  • Tips on how to prepare for an audition

One of the unique and most exciting components of USBands educational workshops is the personal interaction with the instructors and members of the DCI World Champion Blue Devils!

USBands Educator sessions work in complete alignment with the Leadership, Drum Line, and Color Guard workshops to coordinate and unify the efforts between students and their directors. These workshops feature intimate, personalized insight from some of the most respected names in the marching and concert worlds.

USBands Educator workshops are attendee-driven for each event. You tell us what you're looking for and we design the curriculum to meet those needs. Based on attendee feedback, previous sessions have included:

  • Educator session topics vary by event and include:
  • Adapting Drum Corps Marching Technique for the High School Band
  • Staging, Timing, and Ensemble Cohesiveness
  • Developing Form Awareness in Young Performers
  • Elements of Show Design and Pacing
  • Why Student Leaders Fail
  • How to Adapt World-Class Rehearsal Technique for the High School Band
  • Technology and the Outdoor Wind Section
  • Demystifying Electronics
  • Contemporary Trends in Marching Technique
  • Show Design for Bands of All Sizes and Levels of Experience
  • Effective Training and Use of Student Leaders in Rehearsal
  • Strategies and Exercises to Strengthen the Percussion Section
  • Rehearsal Pacing and Protocol
  • The Blue Devils approach to Intonation in the Outdoor Environment

Of course, it would be impossible to include all the topics above in a single two- or three-day workshop. Let us know your needs so we can build the experience around you. When you register for an event as an educator, you'll be asked to select the four most urgent topics you would like to learn more about from the list above. If what you're looking for isn't listed, you'll have the option to suggest topics for inclusion.

These multi-day educational camps are brought to you by System Blue and Conn-Selmer. See the products the best in the world use up close at these camps with The Blue Devils!

System Blue
Conn-Selmer
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