When choosing a piece of equipment, there are many things to take into consideration, including the music, skill level of the performers, the size of the program, and training needs. The two guiding questions through the process that you need to be asking constantly … Will this grow my students? Is it a musical decision?
One of the challenges band and color guard directors face is deciding what equipment should be used at different points in the show. While there is never ONLY one correct answer, our goal is to give you a starting point: How to make educated equipment choices based on the needs of your program.
Instructors sometimes explain step size and expect students to innately understand, but so much more is required to reach mastery. In this post, we cover the definition of skill and make a plan for our upcoming season.
Building Blocks of a Thriving Color Guard Program Many new directors have faced the problem of realizing that they are in charge of the color guard. In this post I’ll be outlining some of the basic needs of a color guard program and what’s needed to make it happen. This blog is geared towards directors that are newer to the marching arts, directors without a color guard caption-head, and programs looking to start or revive Read more…
(Make you, the judges, and your students happy!) Many of us in the marching arts have been at the crossroads of wanting to create a highly effective color guard program but having concerns about keeping the budget in-check. You might be hoping that in the article I’m going to help you find “free, free, free!” but the reality is that free doesn’t always get you what you need. As a performer and instructor I’ve seen Read more…
Anyone else really struggling with the lack of human contact right now? When I am anxious or stressed, I love to DEVOUR content that inspires and educates me. I am still a staff member with a color guard and a lover of all things leadership. Before I begin, if you don’t know me personally, you need to know a few things before diving into this read. I use a lot of parentheses. Don’t come at Read more…
It feels like a lifetime, but it was only two months ago: in February I learned that I would be tasked with preparing the visual program for a program I teach. It’s far from my first time in a position like this, but since I moved across the country to start anew, this is my first leading role with a program. Excitedly, I rushed to prepare. Visual exercises in written form, introductory video posts for Read more…