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

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

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.

Helpful Hints in Costuming Your Performance Unit

Here are my top 4 Do

Written by MEPA · Filed Under Education Corner 
Tagged: