'Summer School': Hille Band Students Dust Off Instruments

Before school started, students in the Hille Middle School band had a chance to blow the dust off their instruments during the annual Hille Summer Band Camp. 

As well as playing music, team-building games were an important part of the week. One day students worked in small groups as part of the human knot game, working on how to communicate. Other days were spent seeing how fast each group could pass phrases around their groups. During the first game of the week, students had to find out what each person did over the summer. Part of the 'getting to know you' game involved finding people who traveled, fished, went to the movies, got braces, were grounded, practiced and other typical summer actives. Each game focused on helping students get to know each other, develop trust and have fun.

Musically, the group accomplished more than Mr. Nendza even dreamed of. The summer band had two groups, a sixth-grade group and combined sixth- and eighth-grade group. Both groups learned three new pieces and performed them on the last day of camp. 

"After camp last summer I felt we were going to have a good year, from just this short camp this year looks to be an amazing year," Nendza said.

"I'm so proud of the kids for working so hard. Especially since this is a voluntary camp." 

The camp also brought back recent Hille band alumni to help out younger students.

The week wrapped up with an "informance" where the groups demonstrated to the audience different exercises to help make their music sound better. Unlike a concert where you don't have a chance to go back and try it again at this "informance" the group had the chance to work on small parts of the pieces and show the audience how they can make it sound even better. 

Following the concerts, the students blew off some steam with popsicles and a water balloon fight at Hille. 

"I've always avoided getting soaked during the water balloon fight but the kids were pretty sneaky this year and when I wasn't looking they ambushed me" Nendza said.

The band's next performance will be combining with the Oak Forest High School band during their half time performance on Friday, Sept. 9.