Preparing for an Unknown Season

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 incoming freshmen. Anything that would help students feel comfortable and prepared going into a brand new season. The most exciting part of starting this process over is that you hope you learned from your last time. That this time, you’ll correct your mistakes earlier and the program will be even better than the last.

But it’s April. And the world as we know it has halted. We don’t even know what this world will look like once we “return to normal”- what will normal even mean? In my inaugural blog post for Music Effect Design, I think it’s important to address the question on everyone’s mind: How do you prepare for an unknown season?

Video training is a great start

M.E.D. is not the only educational program revving their engines during this crisis. The community has banded together to focus on what’s most important: what can we do to lift each other up in this weird and confusing time. A half hour of cursory results will provide bountiful content- more than one person (or team of students) could complete.

Introduce these video series to your students. Start with your leadership. It could be breathing gym with the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps, marching band specific workouts with our friends at Marching Health, or even listening to internationally renowned orchestras.

Suggest your leadership check some of these out and ask for feedback– do they enjoy interactive style videos? Are they more motivated by one video series than another? Do they think they could make their own videos for the people in your band? Which leads to the second idea:

Incorporate your leaders in to a video series for your program

How long have you worked with your program? Do your section leaders know the ins and outs of the exercises that you incorporate during the season? If they know the exercises you will incorporate, consider having your student leadership record exercises. This way, newer members will get to know a friendly face and hear someone they will soon work with teach them how to prepare for the upcoming season. 

Remember: simple clear instructions and shorter videos with exercises/ assignments at the end will be effective for younger students. Use SLACK or Google Drive to share videos across the ensemble. Or create a social media group where everyone can share recordings of their videos!

One of our most important roles as educators is to develop young people, both as musicians and as responsible citizens. With exercises like recording videos for their peers, we can ensure that our students get the chance to practice leadership qualities during this uncertain time. 

Attend a virtual clinic or conference

There’s no denying that summers are meant to be a much needed break from the grind of the school year, but that’s never stopped motivated students or educators from finding time to develop and acquire new skills before  the fall season.

When students are looking for a virtual program this summer, look for “feedback”- getting new information directly from the source.  Videos are great supplements, especially to those who may be in financial need or have unreliable access to audio/ video online. But clinics take it a step further, getting feedback from people directly. It’s not just about getting better, but learning new methods and techniques to become a better player, learner, and leader. The same can be said of virtual clinics, seminars, and conferences for educators.  

Wrapping it up

We are a few months away from the beginning of the season. Or are we? If you take nothing else away, remember this: It does not matter if we compete this year, have a shortened season or don’t ever meet for fall marching band. We owe these students our very best. Prepare as if we are moving forward as normal, and adjust course as we see how this situation unfolds. While most of us didn’t get any time in the spring to prepare incoming students, we control what happens between now and the Fall. 

Be as prepared as you are able, and spend this summer helping your students feel valued and prepared too.

Do you have info on a clinic that could help other students? If so, share in the comments below!