DELTONA — There was this one time, at band camp . . .

The pupils sat in a semicircle, feet on the ground, mostly staring straight ahead.

There were a few asides, a chuckle here or there, but, by and large, their focus was on their director’s next move or on finding a comfortable balance for that tuba or French horn.

They launched into a song they all knew from childhood, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," and they managed to turn it into a funeral dirge.

But Bill Guthrie, band director at Galaxy Middle School, was generally pleased.

In just nine morning sessions, adolescents who had barely, if ever, picked up an instrument were playing music.

"Usually, you find parents are pretty shocked at how far the beginners are coming," Guthrie said. "The kids came together beautifully."

That’s what band camp is all about.

About 70 middle school pupils recently finished the two-week Deltona band camp directed by Guthrie and outgoing Heritage Middle School band director Jeremy Williamson. In addition to working with their school directors, the pupils got individual instruction from other local music educators, including Lynn Musco, a Stetson University professor of clarinet.

She finds working with beginners refreshing because of their enthusiasm.

"It’s a nice change," she said.

She coached, among others, Alexander Cassese, a 10-year-old headed to sixth grade who wants to someday play the saxophone.

Young and slight for his grade, Alexander — speaking with blue lips, courtesy of a juice box — said when it came time to pick an instrument, his choices included tuba, but his mom wasn’t enthused.

"She shook her head," he said. "She didn’t want a big case and loud noise in her house."

Coming to band camp, his first real exposure to the middle-school environment, was a bit nerve-wracking.

"I was sort of afraid," Alexander said. "I didn’t want them to pick on me."

Instead, he said, band camp was "really fun."

The teachers design it that way.

Although a major part of middle-school band is demanding discipline, band camp allows for a bit looser atmosphere.

Williamson walked into a room of beginners one day last week and raised his hands in the air, signaling a touchdown. The pupils cheered.

He then waved to the side, as if he were signaling a wide-right field goal.

They booed.

The simple exercise — carried out by each teacher as they entered the room — was designed to keep pupils’ focus on the director, said Williamson, who is leaving Heritage to pursue a master’s degree at Northwestern University and study saxophone.

"I’m going to miss him bad," said Melissa Hernandez, who’s going into eighth grade at Heritage. "I’m happy for him, but I wish he could have waited another year."

The instructors find a way to endear themselves to their pupils while providing criticism designed to improve their playing.

For example, Guthrie admonished a group of trumpet players three times for playing too fast during one recent ensemble run-through of "The Black Pearl," from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" soundtrack.

"Nothing left to say, trumpets," he said, shaking his head. "You did it again!"

Nicholas Pieri, an eighth-grade French horn player at Galaxy, said Guthrie eventually gets around to everyone with a suggestion.

"He’s only helping you to sound better," he said.

Melissa might be old enough to understand criticism, but she isn’t yet of age to have seen the rated-R-for-raunchy "American Pie" film trilogy.

Nonetheless, she hears the quote every time she talks about what she’s been doing this summer.

There was this one time, at band camp . . .

It is a line delivered in a breathless, nasally voice by actress Alyson Hannigan, whose portrayal of the nerdy Michelle was central to the movies. The line usually introduced a story that would make one cringe.

While some of the pupils cringe when they hear the line, it’s become a source of pride for Melissa.

"All my friends in gymnastics say I’m a band geek. I think it’s funny," she said. "I’ve worn my (Deltona Band Camp) shirt and said, ’Look at my band shirt.’ "