LisaLisaMoMeesa Posted April 4, 2002 Share Posted April 4, 2002 Hey, thought this would be a good place to talk about stuff that faces instructors on a day to day basis and see how others deal with the same ol' thing: low/no budgets, difficult directors and/or parents, etc, trying to find good music, cosutmes, warm up routines, first time instructor, exiting insturctor....what ever. %-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaLisaMoMeesa Posted April 25, 2002 Author Share Posted April 25, 2002 When you set about to write a new winter guard show, what are some of the criteria you are looking for in music? I'm finding that many designers do the "knee jerk, I have no idea what this music is about, but it sounds 'essoteric' so I'll use it so everyone will think I'm this avante-guard instructor". Do you let the members have a say in the show? What is it you look for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guard Diva Posted April 25, 2002 Share Posted April 25, 2002 in no particular order: musical content/variety.....are there highs/lows, or is it very same throughout? If it IS same.....is there something in it that sustains it through out? What's the style of show that i would write to this...is it soemthing my guard can handle...... Is the sound "bigger" than the guard ....ie....are there multiple layers going on that would be hard to represent with just 10 members..do I need a guard of 30 to pull this off? I don't generally "let" the kids have a say, but I do take their opinion into consideration.....can this be fun for them?? Am I trying to force them to do something that doesn't fit their personality? I also look at length..is it too long, to short....can it be lengthened or shortened as I need it to be? And finally (remember, no particular order) is it appealing to: 1. the kids, 2. the audience/judges 3. me - can I / do I want to write to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaLisaMoMeesa Posted April 24, 2003 Author Share Posted April 24, 2003 New discussion: Guard instructors.....talk about some ways you stretch your budget..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegalEagle50 Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 continuing from the prior conversation Lisa, consider yourself lucky that you have those colleges and indi groups to borrow from. The only 2 colleges in CT with a guard program are Sacred Heart and UCONN. and there are about oh i'd say bare minimum 100 schools (h.s. & middle school) in CT competing. so you are "on your own" across the board when it comes to getting help with equipment. as far as budgets, some schools do get money from their town or city. others don't. heck some can't even get support from their own townsfolk when you try to do fundraisers because they've already bought from the 1st 10 kids who got to the door first. :( and i love the concept of the guard kids must help the band with their fundraisers but the band kids don't need to help with a guard fundraiser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malibu Posted April 25, 2003 Share Posted April 25, 2003 (edited) I was going to let you know how much the band parents spend on my guard every year.......but decided it may make you ampssuck Edited April 25, 2003 by Malibu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegalEagle50 Posted April 25, 2003 Share Posted April 25, 2003 well considering the band parents at this school got a later start than the guard, they didn't have a chance to get any real fund raising done in time for the season. the band and guard made about $2000 for performing and selling candy at the Wal-Mart grand opening in town, but the band director marked it for new drums immediately. and while i was upset that none of it went to the guard i will admit the drums were so old and beaten that they were impossible to use. sigh this is what happens when you get a new band director just before the season begins. he was thrown immediately into band camp with no staff. put together a volunteer staff as the season went along. then when he had a chance to breathe he tried to get a band parents organization started. oh, did i mention that he was doing double duty as band director for another school because that director quit just before school started and they hadn't been able to find a replacement in time? for all that i pick on the guy, he was overwhelmed but had his heart in the right place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jd83 Posted April 25, 2003 Share Posted April 25, 2003 On the first subject, it's been a long time since I instructed a color guard, but it was music first, then drill and equipment work. The kids also gave input into what music was selected. On the second subject, that is a thorny subject, since many organizations on the high school level are vying for funds at around the same time. Parental involvement in this process is vital. Usually, it's the parents who have some of the best ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBrancheau Posted April 25, 2003 Share Posted April 25, 2003 Question for instructors out there: do you write for the judges or write for the music and what you visualize when you hear the music? When I choreographed Elton John's "Burn Down the Mission", I wrote the drill and choreography for what I "saw"...I don't have it in mind to write for what I think the judges want to see. I mean, I keep the rules and guidelines for the circuit in the back of my mind, but first and foremost is my interpretation of the music. If the judges rip me to shreds (and that hasn't happened too much) then I'd re-think the choreography. But if they don't, I leave it as it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancerFi Posted April 25, 2003 Share Posted April 25, 2003 I was going to let you know how much the band parents spend on my guard every year.......but decided it may make you ampssuck Let's face it, the sky is the limit where you are. Unlike Malibu, where she and company make up the work for their guards, we, the members of the I.C guard and then the 27th guard made up their own work. We began doing it fully by 1977. Zingali could ask for a flip at this point or an explosion for this point, but other than that, it was hands off right up until about 81.........Not all of us mind you but a few made up 95%. Do many of you have creative members, or are they just beginning, and by the time they are seniors or however that works, their creative juices begin to flow. I mean it does help if you know how to handle the equipment to be able to create, but it ain't rocket science..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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