Thinking about the Program

Your Identity and your Message and just who are you?
By now everyone is searching for the ideal program and of course that involves listening to dozens of tunes. You are no doubt considering the “trends” and “what the judges’ reward” and how to set your students up for success. While those are all important considerations, don’t forget to put time into focusing on your group’s identity and personality. This is where you craft a show that is “tailor made” for your particular situation.

Take stock of your guard’s history. Ask yourself these questions and give careful consideration to your answers.

What’s been your success ratio? Are you always struggling to reach a goal? Are you always successful?
Are you stuck in a rut in terms of repeating old choices?
What are the social and economic influences your students exist in?
What stumbling blocks do you repeatedly encounter?
What are your weaknesses?
What are your greatest strengths?
All of these considerations blend together to establish the common “personality” or “identity” of your students and subsequently your guard. With this knowledge, it will help you to design a show that will allow your performers to “be themselves” and hopefully be most comfortable in communicating the program you create. It’s about building on a natural resource. It will also aid in guiding your musical considerations.

The next big question is this:

How do you program? Is it for the judges, the kids or the system? Can it be for all 3?
The typical designer is tempted to “follow the trend” and the motivation behind that is ALWAYS because that’s what the judges reward. Over the past year and all through Spinfest, we have been encouraging you to be ORIGINAL and take a creative step that will make you unique. At the same time, our Judge administrators are asking Judges to be open to the diversity of programming that we are asking you to bring to our competitive stage. It gets to be that age old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg? If you don’t break away from the “common” mold, what else can judges do but reward the best of what EVERYONE is doing?

It is proper that the Activity’s standards are defined by the Guards. That’s ALL THE GUARDS in all the classes. The judging community should always be the mirror that reflects the priorities of the system. This means they will credit successes of training, creativity, originality and entertainment!!! Somebody’s got to take the lead in moving our activity to the next level. I am asking that all of you as a community of designers step up for that challenge. Know that Jim Mahoney, Kristen O’Melia and Phil Madden, as judge administrators, are reinforcing this within the judging community as well. We are all on the same page in the goal to move our creative process forward!!!

SO NOW WHAT????
Take what we discussed at the beginning of this memo and get a firm picture of your students/guard’s identity and personality.
Get out of your comfort zone and listen to diverse musical options. You can seek music to FIT that “personality” or you can just make sure that the “personality” can adapt to the role the kids will be asked to portray.
You can be creative through clever displays of body/equipment, through unique costuming, etc.
Most of this challenge is up to YOU. Your students can learn whatever you are capable of teaching them. I’ve seen guards with kids no more than 7 or 8 years old selling their shows with believable and entertaining skills. Just check out those Boston Cadets to get the picture I’m painting here.
Eliminate the fear of what judges will do. I know that’s hard, but you can be absolutely sure that your judge administrators are 100% on board in this effort and they are a constant resource to you within the competitive season. Just don’t sacrifice good sense in the establishment of training, logic in staging and planning your effects.
OK, this should be food for thought for this week. I welcome your questions, concerns or ideas. I’m happy to discuss your programming possibilities with you and as always, I wish the greatest of successes for you and your students.

Best regards,
Shirlee Whitcomb,
Director of Color Guard Development

Plotting the Show for Effect

10 More Questions and More big Payoff
By now you have your show tunes, or you’re well on your way to making that final decision. When you do have the music selected and roughly edited you’re now ready to plan your effects. Effect doesn’t happen by accident and it isn’t guaranteed. It requires you to design the moment, place it strategically both within the show and upon the stage and assure that the performers understand and achieve their part in its production.

QUESTION 1: What is your first effect, and on a 1 to 10 in “impact,” how does it score?
QUESTION 2: What is your desired reaction from both the Judges and the Audience? (Continue to the next effect repeating questions 1 and 2 until you have done this through the entire show.) This will help you when listening to judges’ tapes as you gage their “reaction” to those planned moments.
QUESTION 3: How much time elapses between each effect? This addresses the rhythm of the pacing of the effects. You can have a sequence of rapid fire effects or a separation between each of them. Get the feel of that rhythm and go back to question 2 to assure you are getting the reaction you desire.
QUESTION 4: Where on the stage have you placed your effect moments? Have you offered varied staging or is everything “front and center?” Does it coordinate well with other elements of the guard?
QUESTION 5: Does the viewer’s eye travel easily to where you have placed your effect?
QUESTION 6: Have you offered a variety of effects? What are they? Flag, rifle, saber, dance or drill features; are they Intellectual (fascinating, showing depth) Emotional (exciting, nostalgic) or Aesthetic (familiar and accessible to the viewer?) Variety is the spice of life. It’s also a scoring consideration.
QUESTION 7: Is the effect musical? This shows up on every score sheet and is a vital investment on your part.
QUESTION 8: Have you factored in the element of Surprise or is each feature predictable?
QUESTION 9: How does all of this feed into the overall PRODUCTION VALUE of your show? Have you given total thought to the “look” through costume, color, props, floor design and how that all illustrates the Sound Design of your show?
QUESTION 10: Is the overall package memorable, unique and creative? Here I’d like to offer you a gentle reminder. Don’t confuse “shock value” with being unique. Good taste is ALWAYS critical in your decisions. Pay attention to costuming and be sensitive to changing young bodies. Performers MUST be COMFORTABLE in what they wear. Good design and fit will assure this. Young ladies should not be “tugging” on their costumes and both males and females need the proper undergarments.
When you have applied these considerations to your entire show, you will be fully prepared to gage your success or weakness through the judge’s taped reaction/response. It also lets you gage the audience’s response. It sets you up for intelligent expectations and provides a basis of dialog with the effect judges in critique.

This is all about YOU and your preparedness. I promise you that if you take care with these points your life will be infinitely easier throughout the season. I’ll be anxious to hear if this has helped you!!!!

Shirlee Whitcomb
Director of Color Guard Development

MEPA Announces Solo & Ensemble

Hello MEPA Members

With the 2009 marching band season officially in the books, all of us are now looking forward to the 2010 winter performance season. Your board of directors has been making plans since the summer and as a result of that, I wanted to make you aware of an exciting addition to our upcoming competitive season.

MEPA is happy to announce the addition of a solo and ensemble competition to this year’s performance schedule. The first event will be hosted in conjunction with the Firestone show and the second event at Centerville High School. The final event will be during MEPA championship weekend.

In the very near future we will be giving you more detailed information about how this event will work, right now we hope that you will talk to your students about participating this winter. We are also making this available to non-MEPA members so we hope that you will pass the word on to your colleagues at other schools.

Keep watching the MEPA website for more information. It will be coming soon.

In the meantime, if you haven’t yet registered for the 2010 competition season, remember that your application and dues must be received by December 1st to get in to the first draw.

As always, if you have any questions, e-mail me by clicking here

Tim

10 Easy Questions with a Big Payoff

10 EASY QUESTIONS WITH A BIG PAYOFF
I’m going to ask you to approach this all important design choice with a list of questions to ask yourself (and your staff) as you wade through a million options.

QUESTION 1: What kind of mood do you want to put your audience in? Excited, nostalgic, sad, happy, energized, lethargic, fascinated, surprised, and the list goes on and on. Answer this first and it sets a roadmap toward your goal. Remember, one of the most commonly shared response mechanisms in people is their reaction to music and sound.

QUESTION 2: Do you want to grab your audience immediately with a big effect or do you want to build into it? This will also help you as you consider the opening of each tune you listen to.

QUESTION 3: Does the music provide a great ending???? You always want to leave the audience “wanting more.” Do you want the audience to be left “holding their breath” as you conclude, or do you want them screaming and on their feet?

QUESTION 4: Does the music guide you smoothly through the “dance of design” as you conceptualize the show? Can you visualize each segment as you listen?

QUESTION 5: Does the music provide contrast and contouring so that your show takes the viewer on a joy ride of highs and lows? Can you visualize those impact points and strong resolutions?

QUESTION 6: Does the music have interesting depth of orchestration? When considering a specific tune, how many different arrangements/artists do you research before making a decision? Have you considered combining different versions of the same tune?

QUESTION 7: Does the music suggest a specific style or “look” and can you assure that your students can carry it off?

QUESTION 8: How many other groups have used this music and will it set you up for a direct comparison?? It shouldn’t but I promise you that there are some tunes that need to be “retired” for the next decade. It’s risky to pick a tune used by a highly memorable guard.

QUESTION 9: Is this tune similar or different from what you’ve done for the past couple of years? Is it time to redefine yourself? Redefinition will keep the kids interested and broaden their skill sets as performers and challenge you as designers!!!!

QUESTION 10: Can the performers relate to your vision through this music and do you have the knowledge to teach them how to interpret their role and character?

Once you’ve settled on this year’s show music, consider how you might embellish it with any special effects or layer it with other arrangements to provide a more unique sound. This is ALL ABOUT YOU and your creative thought process as you set up your show for the best possible production value. Musical choice may very well be the most important choice you will make.

Musical choice and visual style contribute largely to set you apart from the many others in your class. Strive to be remembered as you create your program. Create a musical sound track that will showcase your best assets as you create your visual illustration.

MEPA Parnters with Marriott Hotels

MEPA, Ohio’s leader in winter pagaentry arts, is pleased to announce that they are partnering with the Marriott Hotels for the 2010 season.  The Marriott has long been a friend to winter guard and percussion.  They serve as the official hotel for the WGI World Championships in Dayton as well as many other events of our type around the nation.  Their newly renovated hotel in Downtown Dayton will serve as the perfect home base for the MEPA Championships taking place on on March 27th and 28th, 2010.

As a part of this arrangement, The Marriott has agreed to offer our units a special rate of $89.99 per night.  As you make your plans to travel to Dayton, we hope you will use The Marriott as your hotel of choice.

The 2010 season is almost here and things are heating up fast.

Helpful Hints in Costuming Your Performance Unit

Here are my top 4 Do’s and Don’ts when it comes creating a successful

uniform design for your performing unit.  Enjoy!

1. Don’t be afraid to try new things.  Current fashions (including fashion in colorguard, winterguard, drum lines, dance teams, drum corps, etc.) are all about being fresh, innovative – and not looking dated!  Take a moment and think about the clothes that are in your closet.  Don’t you prefer the newer looks?  Would you wear something that was fashionable in 1989?  The same questions should apply to your unit.  If your team has been wearing the same style of costume for 5+ years it is most likely time for an update. 

That said – keep in mind that certain restrictions should apply when determining what works for your group. What suits a professional dancer or musician on stage might not be feasible for a high school student.  Does the look that you are going for provide the best range of motion for your performers?  How does the costume relate to the soundtrack? Will the performers feel comfortable and confident in this design? Take into account all of these factors when creating your new, innovative design.

1. Do think about the personnel within your group.  No one that I know has the “perfectly-shaped” colorguard or drum line.  Which uniform elements can help your group look stylish and sleek while being flattering on all members?  Here are a few tricks of the trade to help your students look their best:

- Black or darker colors on the outside panels of the costume help create a slimming effect.  Keep the brighter colors in towards the middle and/or up towards the face.

-  Horizontal stripes expand an area, (that’s why you rarely see horizontal stripes across the waist and hips on female fashion.)  Vertical stripes help to elongate and slim an area.

- Using an empire waist in your design (that’s a horizontal seam under the bust-line) will help to add height to students, especially if you keep the lighter, bolder colors up top and use darker tones on the bottom.

- Remember, simple is always a good standby.  There’s a reason why the “little black dress” has been in fashion for almost 60 years.

1. Do think about fabric and color.  These two items are without a doubt the most impactful design choices you can make.  Here are some tips when it comes to color and fabrication: 

Lycra vs. Velvet

Lycra is a superior stretch fabric that reflects the light and is lighter in weight than velvet.  The beauty of lycra is the brightness of the color.  Lycra-based fabrics tend to “pop” more on the floor and showcase the true color.  Be aware of where you place lycra on the body however, as it does not mask body flaws.  That is where proper use of undergarments such as body-shapers, unitards or Under-Armor comes in handy. Matte’ lycra is also a great option as it’s less reflective; this option can be easily achieved by simply turning the fabric to “dull-side out” or using a matte’ style fabric such as tricot.

Velvet is a wonderfully luxurious fabric that absorbs the light.  By doing so it also helps to mask sections of the body that we may not want to showcase.  It is said that velvet is the most forgiving of all fabrics.  Velvet also drapes nicely on the body and trends to wrinkle much less than lycra or other specialty fabrics.  Velvet comes in an assortment of tones and when paired with lycra can create a wonderfully textured look on the floor. 

Which Colors Go Together???

This is a question that designers get a lot.  The best answer I believe is that all colors go together.  There is not a “professional color guide” that we all go by.  It’s based on personal preference, your show concept, the type of silhouette you are hoping to achieve, etc. 

Orange and blue look great together – no doubt.  But why?  It’s because they are opposites on the color wheel, and they contrast one another beautifully.  The same thing goes for black and white, purple and green, etc. Another case where opposites truly do attract!

You can also never go wrong with a palette of harmonious colors.  Hues of red and orange can create a powerful and dramatic look on the floor.  Hues of blue and purple or smoky greys and black can create a softer, more somber feel.  With the amount of stretch fabrics available these days it is not difficult to find upwards of 6 to 8 variants of one color.

Finally, if your gut instinct says “those colors probably don’t go together very well” – chances are you’re right.  However if you look at a color scheme and feel inspired by it that’s a great sign!  Don’t be afraid to try new things. That’s what samples and swatches are for!

1. Don’t wait until the last minute to order your uniform.  Picking a new design for your group should be an exciting experience.  Be sure to get the process started early enough and allow ample time to see and review sketches, pick appropriate fabrics and colors, see and test out a sample, etc.   

Always have a sample made before finalizing anything!

Put a member of your group in the sample uniform; have them stand on the floor, spin a flag, march around, etc.  Does the uniform look as you envisioned it?  Does it provide proper range of motion?  Do the colors and the design relate to the soundtrack?  Does it flatter the members of your personnel? 

If not, at least you know there is still time to fix it!  That is the beauty of the design process.  The early bird gets the worm…and ends up with a costume that works!

Best of luck to you and your competing units!

Byron Valentine

Byron Valentine is a representative and designer for FJM, Inc., specializing in the Flag and Stretchwear departments.  He has designed costumes and flags for such notable performing units as Centerville, Miamisburg, Bellbrook, Norwin, Kings, Carroll, Carlisle, Mason, Juxtaposition, Zydeco, Rhythm X, and the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps as well as many other units around the country. Byron is also an accomplished equipment and movement judge for the Mid-East Performance Association.