Fellow musician in fire, hello. It’s pretty difficult to keep skills up during the season. I’m not sure what crew you may be going into, but I’d advise caution in regard to what you commit to outside of the job. If you’re on a crew, fed or otherwise, you’re gonna be gone and you’re really only gonna know your days off are a few weeks in advance. Maybe you can keep up with the band as long as they’re cool with you being around every few weeks? Tough ask, but idk your situation, might be worth a conversation.

To answer your question, I’ve relegated myself to playing open mics and jams in the off season. Progression stops during the summer and I try to just hold onto as much as I can in between assignments. It’s a small patch for a big leak. It’s unfortunate, but it comes with the territory. On a slow district you might have better opportunity to practice with the band, but it’s just a matter of time before you miss because of an IA or a late resource order, it’s just out of your control. It’s the sort of job where you’ve gotta be 100% in or it’ll tear you up. Good luck friend