Blog: W. T. Eich Intermediate Holds Annual Marching Band Camp

Roseville's held its annual band camp for its award-winning marching band.  70 students participated with 15 adult volunteers providing assistance. The camp featured marching instruction, a marching contest (with prizes for the best 8-step accuracy), and on-the-street marching practice. The members were also fitted for their parade uniforms.

Mr. James Gonsalves (affectionately known as "Mr. G" to both students and parents), the band's leader since 1985, said the camp is a great way to get the kids introduced to the precision and discipline of a top-notch marching band's requirements.  The camp also helps build camaraderie amongst the students as well as letting them have some non-school-time fun while learning.  Since the camp is help on a Saturday the kids have the campus to themselves and are more free to be young teenagers (sometimes at Mr. G's expense!).

During Gonsalves' 26-year tenure the Eich band has won over 180 first place awards, including the Oroville Las Plumas Festival and Santa Cruz Festival.  Under Gonsalves' direction, the band's 1985 Dixeland combo was the first youth band accepted to the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee.  The band continues to march yearly at the annual Sacramento Jazz Festival.

While today's band camp gets students started in the rigors of marching, practice continues throughout the year with sometime twice per-week drills on the streets surrounding Eich.  Local residents have become used to early morning sounds of drum cadence and trumpets blaring.

The band also features a full color guard that helps round out the pageantry of the presentation.  Mindee Adamson helps train the color guard students.  She was pleasantly surprised this year when 13 students signed up for the color guard, up from just six last year.  Color guard is a specialty so Mr. G relies heavily on Mindee's experience since his formal training is music and marching.

During a normal year the Eich's band participates in 3-5 marching competitions, often including the Roseville Holiday Parade, Auburn festival of lights Christmas-time extravaganza, the Sacramento Music Festival and the Elk Grove Western Days Festival.  The band also holds two formal concerts at Eich during the Winter and Spring.  These are lively and fun events where the students get to show off their musical abilities.

Mr. G feels this year's band is particularly strong and may be one of his best ever.  He said his drum, trumpet and saxophone sections are particularly vibrant.  The band is also getting an extra push from Eich's new principal Marc Buljan.  Mr. Buljan is an ardent supporter of the band's program and feels it is not only a great endeavor for the kids but also helps both the school and community.  He has pledged his full support in raising the band's visibility in the Roseville community.

The students' hard work throughout the year is rewarded not only with the pride of accomplishment at participating in the marching contests but also with an all-day trip to Six Flags Amusement Park in Vallejo.

But not all is fun and games in the behind-the-scenes action according to Shelly Olson, the band boosters president. As she tells it, the band's budget has become increasingly tight over the last decade with the increasing emphasis on core class test scores and budget cuts, especially to music and the arts.  Band uniforms and equipment are very expensive and no longer part of the school's budget process.

Ms. Olson and her boosters are on constant lookout for new ways to help raise the band's profile. The band has increasingly relied more heavily on donations and grants for funding.  Ms. Olson says one new idea for this year is to let the community "hire the band" for Christmas songs.  Select members of the band would visit a Roseville neighborhood during the Christmas season and play songs for a small donation.  She has had positive reception so far and thinks it's also a great way for the kids to become more confident in public appearances.

If you'd like to see where the band will be marching or have questions about how you can help, please contact Shelly Olson, the band booster's president at info@eichband.info.