Star struck on early days of band camp

"I gotta fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell." ​

Monday around mid-afternoon, instruments strewn across the track, the sound of rustling papers, a feedback laden mic'd up band director voice and.... a pounding of a cowbell keeping time reang across the Oil City football field.  Drum major Matthew Myers kept the rhythm and band director Dan Cartwright rattled off numbers usually one to eight but other times starting in the middle.

It's band camp.

​The Oiler Marching Band, often just called OMB were working their formations as the sun peaked in and out of what looked and felt like rain clouds, but without the rain. Around the 10 yard line a smaller member of the team was trying to catch up to the papers that the wind decided to make into a sail and send on a journey.

This year's half-time show titled Star Struck features the songs "Sky Full of Stars," "All-Star" and "Counting Stars." And it will feature instrument playing OMBers for sure, but first, getting the formations and footwork down needs attention.
Cartwright said he has an even 100 members this year, up from last year when the numbers were up from the previous near 80 members. The OMB program has grown in recent years, while many other programs struggle.  He is happy about this but doesn't have a strict answer to why this is happening. "There were years we struggled to break 60," Cartwright said.

A strong freshman class and about 30 band front members has helped boost the numbers this year. "We're going to ride this high," he said.

At the end of camp on Friday, the band will perform a preview of their show at 6 p.m. at Pioneer Flats at Two Mile Run County Park.

They'll then be into the full season on August 25 at the Oiler's football season opener against Warren.

Their big marching band extravaganza known as Music in Oil Country is scheduled on September 9. This features several area high school bands and a college band comes to show the kids the next level.