Purdue Trumpets Excellence lives here.

There is a downloadable Word document version of this information at the bottom of this page.

● Keep practicing this summer! (Very Important!)

● Stay active this summer!
o Workout
o Run
o Get out in the heat some so you get used to it

● Get in the habit of drinking large quantities of fluids!
o Stay away from the alcoholic beverages (which you should be anyway), pop (soda), caffeinated drinks and other stuff that will dehydrate you.

● Turn in your registration and medical forms for band as soon as you get them!
o The sooner you get your forms mailed in the sooner the audition music will be mailed back to you!

● Make sure your Purdue email account is activated and that you start checking it this summer regularly!

● If you’re worried about your class schedule getting screwed up you can add Band 110 (Marching Band) to your schedule. However, you may want to wait to make sure you make the band first.

● Gloves
o The trumpet section usually makes a bulk order of gloves at the beginning of the season.
o You can come up with your own gloves and pretty much all of the white marching band gloves are acceptable (we do not have a set style)
o Gloves must be kept extremely clean throughout the season though so many of us resort to buying about 10 pairs. Otherwise, get good at bleaching your gloves on a weekly basis.

● White Dress Shirt
o After the regime change in the band department, they are still making a lot of changes to the uniform so this may or may not be required. In the past all the guys needed a formal button-up white dress shirt for certain travel and special occasion’s uniform attire.
o Girls, I’m not really sure what this part of the uniform is supposed to be for you this year. (sorry)

● Black Socks
o Everyone will need at least several pairs of long black dress socks (calf-length). It is best to get the thicker variety so you are not getting blisters after marching all day. I would recommend 3 minimum since we sometimes have multiple performances in one weekend and it can get nasty to be putting back one wet, sweaty, smelly socks. (Please do us all a favor and don’t be THAT GUY!)

● Marching Shoes
o You can either get your own ahead of time or buy yours during band camp from the vendor that shows up during that week.
o If you get your own, they MUST have a heel so that the strap for the spats can go under your shoe and not get torn up. They also must be all black and fairly SHINY!

● Black Athletic Shorts or UnderArmor
o For under your marching uniform, everyone must have some sort of black athletic shorts or black UnderArmor or Spandex. (In case you rip a hole in your uniform or it came complementary the hole, will be less visible that way)
o Probably best to get a few pairs of these as well just like the black socks

● Stuff to keep in mind that you will have to buy when you get here:
o Band polo (maybe?... if it’s still part of the uniform)
o UnderArmor Shirt (not sure if this will be required to buy the band one or whether you can buy your own off-brand one)
o Suspenders
o Spats
o Khakis (They have a specific brand they want people to get)

● A few standard trumpet items to remember:
o Valve Oil
o Lire (not required if you are used to holding your music with one hand)
o Music Flip Folder (You should probably have about 30 pages/leaflets minimum in order to properly hold the ridiculous amount of music we carry around)
o Slide Grease
o Polish and/or Polish Cloth

● Good set or two of tennis shoes for practice
o Dr. Scholls inserts are not a bad idea as well
o You may want to have a separate set from ones you normally wear to class since our current practice field can get very muddy. (We’re supposed to be getting a new field this year though hopefully)

● Camelback
o This or similar water pouch/backpack can be a good investment if you have the money and get dehydrated easily or have some other physical condition requiring you to stay properly hydrated.

● Sunscreen
o Remember to bring with or buy some sunscreen when you get here! You will be outside in the roasting sun for hours and hours during band camp week.
o Many people also forget this item on game days since most of your body is covered and it may even be cold/overcast but since we are outside ALL DAY you will get burned! (Marching band sunburns are very distinct and awkward looking too!)

● Plastic Mouth Pieces
o These are growing in popularity and I personally recommend their use in times of cold weather and rain.
o You should have and use a standard metal mouth piece under normal conditions since the plastic ones do not produce as good of a sound.
o However, plastic mouth pieces will allow you to play longer and better in adverse weather!
o They also serve as a light-weight back-up that you can carry in your uniform in case you lose your metal one during performance!
o They are relatively cheap (~$21+shipping+tax) when compared to metal mouthpieces and can be bought online at http://www.kellymouthpieces.com/trumpet.asp

● Registration and Activity Fee
o Everyone hates this one and YES, IT SUCKS since we are doing such a service for the university on so many occasions and do not get much in return.
o There are some extra fees involved with being in band and especially marching band at Purdue. For marching band I believe the total fees this year per person are about $250. For other bands it will be about $100. If you are in multiple bands not all those fees will be compounded though.

● Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) Registration
o Do NOT register for BGR if you plan on trying out for marching band!
o Marching Band camp occurs during the same time as BGR and you will be getting all the same benefits and more by taking part in marching band.

● Move-In Date
o You will want to move into your dorm or apartment on Saturday, August 16th, or Sunday morning, August 17th.

● Band Camp Start Date
o For freshmen or new members, band camp will start Sunday evening, August 17th.