New LHS drum majors Emily Demmel, Chris Naley and Aaron Mendoza spent time at band camp this summer. For high school students, summer is a time for vacations, relaxing at the lake and summer jobs. For members of the Lampasas Badger Band, summer is also time for preparing for the upcoming school year.

New drum majors Emily Demmel, Aaron Mendoza and Chris Naley attended a weeklong camp at the University of Texas at Arlington. There, the trio worked on the technical aspects of conducting, teaching marching drill, and leadership.

Also attending camps this year were percussionists Olaf Meyer and Brittany Travis, University of North Texas; and Katie Skelton, West Texas A&M University.

During camp, Meyer was named outstanding tenor drum player in his section.

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The award-winning Illusion Colorguard, fresh from its second place finish in state competition, conducted a joint colorguard camp at the Lampasas High School campus with the Harker Heights High School Avalon Colorguard.

The camp was taught by Illusion director Nancy Norris; Avalon director David Norris; LHS graduate Brittany Ham; and members of Dallas' independent colorguard, Code Black.

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LHS senior and Illusion Colorguard captain Jessie Arbolay is traveling around the country this summer as a member of the Crossmen Drum Corps.

Recent LHS grads Connie Rosado and Tyler Berget also are performing with the Crossmen, and graduate Sammy Rosado is marching with the Boston Crusaders.

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On Monday, the 2008-09 LHS Badger Band will begin two weeks of summer band designed to teach fundamental marching, and rehearsing of this year's halftime and contest show, "How the West Was Won." The show is a tribute to Lampasas' western heritage and honors its forefathers who settled in this part of the country.

The second song features LHS's Illusion Colorguard as it performs Aaron Copeland's "Rodeo." The band will close the show with music from "Silverado."

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Band directors Richard Hooper, Glenn Grant, Robert Leyva and Mrs. Norris expect that band veterans will combine with the incoming freshman class to form the biggest and loudest band in recent history.

The award-winning LHS band comprises the largest single-spirit group on campus, and they will debut a number of new stand tunes at Badger football games this year.

Added to the playlist are "Vehicle," Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," and the anthem rock standard, "Iron Man," among others.

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For information on membership in this year's Badger Band, phone Hooper after Monday at the band room, 556-2186.