Trendmarching : Situs Library Marching Band Indonesia » drill design

3 Tips for Cleaning Drill Efficiently

admin — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:23:39 +0000

Author/source: Rob Stein

Many educators have varying view points on how to clean drill. As stated in previous articles, most instructors teach in the same process they were taught. After being instructed in many groups with various teaching methods, these are a few key aspects I apply and find to be the most efficient for a clean, crisp end result. Although some of these steps may seem to be “wasting time,” remember that doing things correctly is the top priority, and will sometimes take more time than rehearsing in a hastened, more inefficient manner.

1. Break down complicated sets into groups of students and rehearse by rotating the groups.

Ex. – There is an ensemble box rotation. Break down the set by assigning group numbers to each line of the box. The most outside line is “group 1,” the next line, “group 2,” the third line from the inside is “group 3,” etc. For the first rep, the only members running the set are those in “group 1.” This will benefit the students in numerous ways; the most obvious being that there is more attention to the individual since the staff only has to concentrate on a small percentage of the band. Students will always perform better when they know they are being watched and analyzed. Another benefit of this method is the students will better learn where the key dress points are during the move, allowing them to better understand their path and step-size while simultaneously ingraining the move in their muscle memory. After “group 1″ has successfully performed the move a few times in a row, rotate to “group 2.” Repeat the process until each line has performed the move successfully. After that, start adding in more groups; this can be done in numerous ways. For example, rehearsing the two most outside lines, then gradually adding from the outside-in, or vice versa. The more time there is for the project and the more ways the move is rehearsed, the better understanding your students will get and the cleaner the overall product will be. Although this step is somewhat time consuming, if implemented correctly, you will notice immediate results and improvement with your band’s visual execution.

2. Always make sure the students are starting and ending at their exact written locations.

As obvious as this step may seem, I have been involved with many organizations in which the phrase, “we gotta get through these pages” has overpowered the implementation of efficient rehearsal techniques. The common misconception that the act of doing more means the group is “getting better” is completely false; in fact, the more a band rehearses incorrectly, the worse they will get. Rehearsing bad habits only means the students will get better at performing incorrectly. In order to ensure this process, it is imperative for at least all section leaders and staff members to have drill sheets at all times; and of course, every marching member should have their “dot book.” (A “dot book” is a small note pad students keep on their person during rehearsal which contains their exact location for every drill page. For more information on “dot books,” please refer to the links page of our website.) Spray paint can aid in this process significantly; assign section leaders and field staff to paint a small mark on the dot of each member of their section for starting and ending locations. After the dots are painted once, rehearse the band with quick, numerous reps. During the move have the performers dress to the form as directed, and once the rep. is finished they look down to see what adjustments, if any, need to be made. This step will greatly increase the student’s muscle memory, as will especially make the beginning and ends of sets much clearer.

3. When correcting students, always be sure to give them the information needed to make the desired correction.

Another somewhat obvious statement, but many instructors seem to overlook this step in the heat of rehearsal. Consider the phrase, “brass, you folks really need to improve your spacing. Reset!”, or, “come on guys, you can do better than that! Reset!” We’ve all been guilty of saying something similar at one point in our marching education careers, but what information is actually given in those statements? None. Even in the first phrase, the instructor tells the brass to improve their spacing, but there is no information given on how to do so. As experienced educators, we have a tendency to forget what it was like to be a beginner in the marching arts and sometimes take for granted what our students do or do not know. Students will receive higher quality education when they are given the “why’s and how’s” of the activity. For example, a proper phrase would be, “brass, you folks really need to improve your spacing. Where is the dress point? Point to it. (Everyone points to the dress point. If they don’t know, inform them.) Ok, so that’s where your eyes should be looking. Make sure each step of the set is equal in size, some of us are getting there too early and taking really small steps at the end. Think about that this next time! Reset!” Empower the students to be their own instructors, share with them the knowledge that you possess; this will greatly increase the performance qualities of the students, and will make the directors job much easier when the members attain this knowledge and become more self-sufficient.

Three tips for cleaning drill efficiently

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:01:27 +0000

These simple steps can maximize your rehearsal time and help your marching band achieve new levels of excellence

By Rob Stein, StandingOMarching.com

Many educators have varying viewpoints on how to clean drill. Most instructors teach in the same process they were taught. After being instructed in many groups with various teaching methods, I apply these key aspects and find them to be the most efficient for a clean, crisp end result. Although some of these steps may seem to be “wasting time,” remember that doing things correctly is the top priority, and will sometimes take more time than rehearsing in a hastened, more inefficient manner.

1. Break down complicated sets into groups of students and rehearse by rotating the groups.
Example – There is an ensemble box rotation. Break down the set by assigning group numbers to each line of the box. The most outside line is “group 1,” the next line, “group 2,” the third line from the inside is “group 3,” etc. For the first rep, the only members running the set are those in “group 1.” This will benefit the students in numerous ways; the most obvious being that there is more attention to the individual since the staff only has to concentrate on a small percentage of the band. Students will always perform better when they know they are being watched and analyzed. Another benefit of this method is the students will better learn where the key dress points are during the move, allowing them to better understand their path and step-size while simultaneously ingraining the move in their muscle memory. After “group 1″ has successfully performed the move a few times in a row, rotate to “group 2.” Repeat the process until each line has performed the move successfully. After that, start adding in more groups; this can be done in numerous ways. For example, rehearsing the two most outside lines, then gradually adding from the outside-in, or vice versa. The more time there is for the project and the more ways the move is rehearsed, the better understanding your students will get and the cleaner the overall product will be. Although this step is somewhat time consuming, if implemented correctly, you will notice immediate results and improvement with your band’s visual execution.

2. Always make sure the students are starting and ending at their exact written locations.
As obvious as this step may seem, I have been involved with many organizations in which the phrase, “we gotta get through these pages” has overpowered the implementation of efficient rehearsal techniques. The common misconception that the act of doing more means the group is “getting better” is completely false; in fact, the more a band rehearses incorrectly, the worse they will get. Rehearsing bad habits only means the students will get better at performing incorrectly. In order to ensure this process, it is imperative for at least all section leaders and staff members to have drill sheets at all times; and of course, every marching member should have their “dot book.” (A “dot book” is a small note pad students keep on their person during rehearsal which contains their exact location for every drill page.) Spray paint can aid in this process significantly; assign section leaders and field staff to paint a small mark on the dot of each member of their section for starting and ending locations. After the dots are painted once, rehearse the band with quick, numerous reps. During the move have the performers dress to the form as directed, and once the rep is finished they look down to see what adjustments, if any, need to be made. This step will greatly increase the student’s muscle memory, as will especially make the beginning and ends of sets much clearer.

3. When correcting students, always be sure to give them the information needed to make the desired correction.
Another somewhat obvious statement, but many instructors seem to overlook this step in the heat of rehearsal. Consider the phrase, “Brass, you folks really need to improve your spacing. Reset!”, or, “Come on guys, you can do better than that! Reset!” We’ve all been guilty of saying something similar at one point in our marching education careers, but what information is actually given in those statements? None. Even in the first phrase, the instructor tells the brass to improve their spacing, but there is no information given on how to do so. As experienced educators, we have a tendency to forget what it was like to be a beginner in the marching arts and sometimes take for granted what our students do or do not know. Students will receive higher quality education when they are given the “why’s and how’s” of the activity. For example, a proper phrase would be, “Brass, you folks really need to improve your spacing. Where is the dress point? Point to it. (Everyone points to the dress point. If they don’t know, inform them.) OK, so that’s where your eyes should be looking. Make sure each step of the set is equal in size, some of us are getting there too early and taking really small steps at the end. Think about that this next time! Reset!” Empower the students to be their own instructors, share with them the knowledge that you possess; this will greatly increase the performance qualities of the students, and will make the director’s job much easier when the members attain this knowledge and become more self-sufficient.

Rob Stein is founder and owner of Standing ‘O’ Marching Arts Specialists. He holds a master’s degree in music education and a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance. His experience includes work with drum corps, marching bands, jazz bands, wind ensembles, pit orchestras and private lesson studios. The Standing O team specializes in customized original compositions, and also offers drill writing, color guard books, clinics, consultations and leadership training. The staff is trained in modern methods of musical and visual instruction, focusing on the development of body awareness, health and fitness, and overall musicianship.

Photos and text courtesy of Rob Stein.

Dynamic Marching – “Translating Marching Fundamentals Exercises to Your Show Performances”

admin — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 03:49:07 +0000

Ditulis Oleh: Jeff Young

It is October. The end of the season is near. The entire field show is on the field. You have had three or four competitions and some football game performances under your belt. You have a general idea how you stack up musically and visually against your competitors. But nothing is set in stone and each new performance brings with it the opportunity to show a new set of judges and fans just how close you can come to your potential.Remember, judges are taught in training not to look at scores from previous weeks and to judge each show in-and-of itself as a new performance. I can’t tell you how many times I have watched or judged a band or drum corps show that is measurably better than it was just one week before. Next week, I leave to judge Colorado State Finals and I have no idea who is “good” this year, nor have I looked at any re-caps of previous Invitationals or State Qualifiers. I want to walk in there with a clear mind and let the shows come to me. Having said all of that, what can you do as a performer to make your show look better in one week?

One: Know Your Dots! If you are still coming to practice with an unorganized wad of coordinate sheets or drill charts, you have not done your homework. As a director, I always wish that I could assign homework grades to marching band students just like I do in my science classroom. Hopefully, you would never go to Biology class without finishing the nightly homework assignment… so why would you come to marching band without your drill book being spotless and up-to-date? Make sure each page of your drill book has the basic information like side-to-side and front-to-back coordinates and how many counts the set is. Beyond that, you should by now understand what counts you pass yard lines during the drill set, what foot you start with, what horn moves you have, and any landmarks to watch out for on the move. Who do you guide to? Who do you dress to? What count does the horn come up or go down? Write these things down and it will help you to remember it when you are in the drill set. In addition, it never hurts to write down in your own words the counts and body positions of any movement or “body” that you have during that section of drill. Put it all in one small notebook and hand it from your neck for easy access. Many people paste copies of the music in these books as well, but this is something that is more helpful the first month of the season and not as helpful now. You should know where the music fits with your feet by now. Have you seen Chris Previc’s guide to dot books? Oh, and one last thing… now that you know where your dots are… GET ON THEM!

Two: Review Your Fundamentals! (Especially direction changes) In order to look as refined as possible (see Dynamic Marching Article, “Define, Then Refine”) you must excel at performing the beginnings and ends of sets. Do you use straight leg “prep steps”? (Think Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps style) Do you use “roll-throughs” or “touch and go’s”? Do you shift your feet with aggression at the beginnings of sets? Do you have “knee pops”? (Think Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps style) Whatever style you were taught that you should transition between sets with is the style you should be using in the drill. Many groups have individuals who do this well and others who go through the motions and just get through the show any way they can. The more marchers that use the style that was explained in the summer the more the band has a coherent and readable style from up in the box or especially to judges on the field.

Three: Get Your Feet in Time! (or your flag work, or your rifle work, or your body movement, etc.) Need I say more?

Four: Enjoy The Season! Don’t get caught up in competition, scores, judges, critics, lazy band members, section in-fighting, silliness, etc. Just do you job, “flush your own toilet”, and enjoy being a part of an activity that is so special to so many students around the world and teaches you important life lessons. After Carmel High School won Grand Nationals in 2005, our staff and students enjoyed our moment briefly, thought about how hard we worked and how lucky we were that our students performed up to our potential and then we immediately started working on having a great concert band and jazz band year and started planning our next marching season. A former principal of mine once said, “Trophies should be made of bananas. They look great for a few days, but then after that time period you would not want to keep them around.” In other words, enjoy your successes (even small ones), celebrate them, learn from them, and then move on to your next big thing.

Good Luck The Rest of Your Season.

Publisher’s Note:
Dynamic Marching is the latest in our series of columns written by leading educators – providing expert information on the marching band activity. Jeff Young is a respected educator, clinician, adjudicator, and consultant – specializing in the art of marching and movement. Jeff Young teaches science at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana, has a degree in Biology from the University of Notre Dame, and a Masters degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Indiana University. Jeff is the visual caption head for the 2005 BOA Grand National Champion Carmel Marching Band. He is also honored to work with the Colorado State Champion-Pomona High School from Arvada, Colorado. Jeff is a visual caption judge for Drum Corps International and enjoys being a judge, designer, and instructor for marching band programs across the country. He has also been the visual instructor and drill arranger for the Bands of America Summer Band Symposium Marching Band for the past four years. Jeff is also the co-founder of Dynamic Marching and Movement.