For one week each summer, Marietta College’s campus transforms into a place of music, teamwork and connection for students from northeast Ohio. While most students are taking advantage of the final weeks of summer break, more than 150 members of the Hudson High School Swing Marching Band are already hard at work preparing for the season ahead.
Based in Hudson, Ohio, the band returned to Marietta College for its overnight traditional band camp, marking the sixth year the program has held the event on the College’s campus. Held July 26-30, the private camp served as the band’s preseason training experience.
Unlike a traditional day camp where students arrive in the morning and leave at the end of the day, Hudson’s annual overnight camp at Marietta creates an environment where the band can spend an entire week together as a community, immersed in the daily rhythm of campus life.
“This is the most important week in our band’s development,” Director John Rodesh said. “A lot of schools host band camp on their own campus, but our ability to stay here overnight and use the different facilities allows us to develop the camaraderie, leadership and culture that define our program.”
For the 154 members of the 2026 band, including 56 freshmen beginning their first year in the program, the week represented an important milestone in their development. More than just learning music and marching formations, the camp gave students the chance to develop leadership skills, build relationships and grow together as a team, establishing the chemistry that will carry them through the year.
However, for Rodesh, the camp’s greatest value isn’t measured by the number of songs students learn or how many hours they spend marching. It’s measured by everything that happens in between: the moments that make the week unforgettable.
“I believe the memories students make are what keep them coming back,” Rodesh said. “They can have fun with the evening activities and all the things outside of the music and marching. In my opinion, that’s what going to a college gives us.”
Students rehearsed pregame and halftime shows twice daily on Don Drumm Stadium Field and held full-band rehearsals inside the McDonough Auditorium. They also participated in traditions including a new-member welcome ceremony and dance at The Gathering Place, as well as an opening-night dodgeball event in the Dyson-Baudo Recreation Center. Evenings provided additional time for students to connect outside of rehearsals, reinforcing the camaraderie and culture that Rodesh believes are essential to a successful program.
In addition to rehearsals and activities, students had opportunities to learn more about Marietta College and what life on a college campus can offer. Information available throughout their stay introduced them to the Pioneer community and encouraged them to envision their own futures in higher education.
The week concluded with a spirited performance on Christy Mall for Marietta College faculty and staff, a tradition that gives the Marietta community a glimpse into the work students accomplish throughout the week. The annual performance has become one of the highlights of the College’s summer conference season, drawing students, faculty, staff and visitors alike. As the band performed crowd favorites including “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Free Bird,” and “YMCA,” the campus community sang and danced along.
Hudson first brought its annual band camp to Marietta College six years ago after exploring locations closer to home. Since then, the College’s welcoming atmosphere, dedicated campus partners and ability to support every aspect of the week have made Marietta a natural fit for the program.
“Hudson High School Band Camp is one of my favorite groups that we host each summer. They bring an outstanding group of students, directors, and counselors to campus, and it is always a pleasure to work with them,” said Tara Meagle, director of Advancement Events and Conference Services at Marietta College. “For many of these students, this may be their first opportunity to spend an extended period on a college campus, and we want them to leave with a positive impression of Marietta College and higher education in general.”
Each summer, Marietta College welcomes students for programs that span the arts, athletics, STEM and other disciplines. While every group comes with a different purpose, they all leave with a deeper sense of the community that defines the College. In return, Marietta continues to share its campus, its people and its Pioneer spirit, introducing students to a community built on learning, belonging and possibility.
For Marietta College, hosting these programs reflects the College’s commitment to creating meaningful learning experiences that extend beyond its own student body. The campus becomes a place where visitors build confidence, strengthen connections and discover the value of collaboration in an environment where education continues outside the traditional classroom.