By Elizabeth White
The Fairbanks marching band had its annual band camp this year from July 29 to Aug. 3.
For the first since Ben Keller’s first year of teaching, band camp was held at Fairbanks High School. Previously, the camp has been hosted at a college or university within an hour’s drive, but there were many reasons that prompted the change.
The biggest reason was the cost of camp had become very expensive and was turning into a financial burden for some families.
Additionally, there was a significant struggle to find a place to hold the camp that met the requirements set by the director.
“The financial burden on marching band families, especially those with more than one marching band member, was so much less,” Keller said. “We just had to find a way to have fun on our home turf.”
This year’s camp had 35 members and five staff members. The cost had decreased substantially, which was great for everyone, as well as the venue being closer and familiar territory.
However, some students were upset that the free time given to the band was limited due to available options. Even though there were several changes, the band members adjusted well and had a week of hard work and fun.