Show PlanningK-State, Marching Band Tech

Guidelines

Organize to Optimize - Plan well in advance.

Meet with your staff in the Spring. Dinner works well for this initial meeting.

If you are getting a custom show with custom arrangements you need to get stuff set in Winter to give arrangers and drill writers plenty of time.

Have a vision and SELL your show! Everyone will have to live with this show for a while...

Music

Published vs. Custom

With either one, think if the music will fit your band and your budget.

Package shows available from msconcepts.com or crsolutions.biz

Elements of Quality Music - good colors/orchestration, dynamic shape, clear articulations, layers, you can ‘see’ the drill in your mind, Key centers utilized for wind resonance, challenging but achievable, Entertaining?

Music and Theme

The show must make sense from beginning to end - What is going to tie the show together?

Music to fit a theme or a theme to fit the music. What is most cohesive? What make sense for the audience? What makes sense for the judges?

Maybe use the online package sites as a starting point for creativity or a custom show

Brainstorm with the visual staff and even band leadership. We is more creative than me.

Key Concepts for Music Selection

MUSIC IS MOST IMPORTANT! NO EXCEPTIONS!

Don’t pick something different for the sake of being different.

At the same time think: will everyone be playing this arrangement this year? Glee as an example...

Think audience.... but also think kids and parents. Educational value....

Can I TEACH with this?

TEMPOS!

GNDN

Goes Nowhere, Does Nothing........

Your show must make sense from beginning to end

Show needs direction, hit points, moments of tension, moments of relaxation

Variety = High level of effect

Melody is important!!! How will you feature this?

Show Planning

Reference page 111 and 112 in your books

What is captivating about your show. Can you see it?

Beginning and Ending!!!!!!!

Fresh Show: good music, woodwind/technical moments, Brass sonority moment, percussion featured (not isolated), Guard and visual moments, Solos and sections featured

“Marching Band is the Art of the Obvious”

Segments

Opener, Production Number, Ballad, Closer

Opener - Catches attention, sets a mood, ending is not the biggest moment of show....

Production Number - variety, colors, soloists, sections, guard, flexible

Ballad - Not too long, expressive, tone, lyrical, melodic, visual feature

Closer - Satisfying conclusion, up-tempo, Big Ending!

Analyze

Unit study on all your scores

Detailed musical, phrase, harmonic, orchestration, melodic analysis.

Think about balancing the band. You can do this with your drill..... More on that later....

Keep your staff accountable in show planning with a specific timeline (pg. 113)

Small Band Solutions

Think music first!!! Instrumentation, musical elements

Reduce field size and usage. Frame the band with props or tarps (old winter guard floors?) Keep things front and center.

No room to hide - fundamentals must be SOLID!!!

Integrate guard in forms and use bright colors!!

Avoid Ballads.

Think balance with percussion. Synthesizer or electric bass?