Have you heard the news? Multiple COVID-19 vaccines are on the way!

I don’t have to tell you what a relief this is. Maybe. Just maybe. We are getting ready to round the corner and get back to a more normal way of life.

But the fall marching band planning season is already here. And vaccines are great news, but there isn’t absolute certainty yet that this will all be sorted out by August, is there?

The bad news is: no- there’s really no certainty at the moment that we will be back to normal this coming fall. There’s more optimism than we’ve had for most of this year. But no certainty yet. And I think many in the community are on edge in anticipation. The prospect of cancelling a second year of seasons is scary, and could have ripple effects on our niche ecosystem.

So once again we find ourselves asking: how do we make the right decisions for an upcoming season that support the entire community?

Over the coming weeks, I’d like to propose some solutions for what we can do to 

1. Prepare programs everywhere with plans to ensure their sustainability in 2021 and beyond.

2. Provide students with the tools and means to develop excellence in our activities.

And most importantly

3. Ensure that students have the resources to continue to cultivate a love of the marching arts.

Let’s Reflect

In our very first MED blog, I wrote an article labeled “Preparing for an Unknown Season”. The blog was focused on training and development of performing members. Looking back with perspective, I stand by those ideas I wrote about back in April. Video training and online resources will continue to prove valuable as we stay limited to socially distanced interaction. 

What is wonderful is how many new resources our community has developed since the start of the pandemic. I will be highlighting some of these later this month. 

What about the Show?

Some questions can wait to be answered. Not because they aren’t important, but because there is still time left to figure out details. For most directors, though, we are approaching show planning season. And it is difficult to plan a show when you don’t have all of the answers. If you are struggling to find solutions to these complicated problems, here is what I would recommend as of today: 

Talk to Your Design Team Now

You cannot take this step too quickly. Talk to them as soon as you are able.

The people who make their living putting shows together are your roommates in this scary, ambiguous space. Most of us are looking at Summer plans and scratching our heads. But given what we know about improving vaccine success rates and plans for distribution taking place, we believe we are approaching solutions. But yes, we are approaching them slowly. 

At Music Effect Design, we are taking steps to help solve our director’s worries through flexible planning based on the possibility of continuing COVID-19 protocols. While of course I’m encouraging anyone who needs solutions for their upcoming falls to contact us, what I’m really recommending is having a frank conversation with your current design team. Find a solution where both the program and the design team can benefit from the uncertainty. Everyone involved in 

Here’s what is beautiful about our current predicament: all of us have a stake in how we approach this coming year. Let’s talk openly and ensure all of us can continue doing what we love this coming year to the greatest extent that is safely possible.

What’s exciting is that once you’ve taken this step, you can hopefully move forward with more trust in the ambiguity. 

Plan for a Normal Season with Distanced Training:

Maybe the optimist in me is just itching for something to look forward to, but I know I’m not the only one that is overly hopeful that we will get this in control before the Fall. Bill Gates recently said “Summer 2021 will be almost normal”. He later went on to express greater confidence in the 2021 school year, saying “We can get the whole country, every city back in school. I think that’s achievable…”.

Still, the word “almost” sticks out like a thorn, doesn’t it?

Once you have talked to your design team, hopefully you have come to terms with a plan that allows you to move forward without significant risk. My suggestion: prepare for a normal fall, with a likelihood of a socially distanced summer.

If what is being predicted today is accurate, plan your season accordingly. Here’s some steps I would recommend:

• Design and develop your show as normal now. If information significantly changes, change your approach to the show as well.
• Carefully craft your effects: consider especially more use of performer effects this year
• If your season wasn’t normal last year, remember that!
  • You might have ½  of your band who’s never had a normal season this year, rather than the usual ¼.
•  You may lose rehearsal/ training time in the summer
  • We will cover solutions for this in blog number 2.

Remember: if you develop this show then we are still not ready for a normal season, you might just be extra steps ahead!

The Contingency Plan

Of course, there is still a chance the season won’t be quite normal. In this case, you’ll be happy you’ve prepared some kind of contingency plan. Here are a few examples of how you might do that:

• Perform a “greatest hits” show, using some old music from past shows that were successful. Implement social distancing drill as needed (this is true for all these options. Also consider cutting length considerably if you lose considerable rehearsal time)
• Use your planned show, but perhaps only 1 or 2 movements. 
• Create a college style show, using popular music tied around some theme. 
• Order a prewritten show of an appropriate grade, given restrictions and guidelines you have to operate by. 

The good news about these kinds of contingencies is that they are flexible. Have a plan ready for what you will do in case restrictions are in place. But do not fret over details yet. Just like your classroom today: if you have to use this plan, the details will change over and over. Just make sure you know “what” you are doing. As the end of the school year approaches, more information on the “how” can be obtained. 

What really matters is that the students are getting an experience that is challenging but attainable. 

But What about the High Commitment Details?

Are you considering using resources for involved props this fall? Maybe you’re looking at show-specific uniforms or some special effect that does cost time and money. Some of these things can’t wait until April to decide- so what do you do?

Everyone’s situation is so different. I cannot give blanket suggestions for everyone. But I have spent most of my career helping band directors make the most informed decisions to support their programs. And I do want you to be successful in your planning, whether you are a client of ours or not. Please email me with some details about your questions for the year. I will be happy to offer free advice, given the details of your upcoming year. 

jordan@musiceffectdesign.com

There’s no catch, I’m not going to give you a sales pitch for some product or service. I just think that everyone needs a little support right now. As a community, we need to bend- but nobody can break. Which brings me to my final thoughts.

Get by With a Little Help

What we want is for a year where we find success in the marching arts. Everyone wants to return to normal as soon as possible. But normal means navigating in uncertainty this year- especially while we’re planning for a confusing season. When it comes to this year, we need to look out for each other. Looking at the big picture, we are so close to getting past this thing. We just need to keep supporting each other. 

If you’re a director: Maybe this year you and your design team are negotiating flexible terms for show creation. Perhaps you are getting a show arranged you don’t perform this year. That may not be the easiest deal to make in uncertain times, but ask yourself: 

“Is it worth it to forge ahead?”

As a designer: maybe you are negotiating terms that are uncertain or flexible based on how COVID protocols play out. That too can be scary. But what’s more scary is waiting until we have “absolute certainty” (whatever that is) to start the planning and design phase. 

Let’s unify once again. Let’s have open honest conversations, and let’s make sure that we have the best possible solutions prepared for Fall of 2021.

Remember: we are in charge of our outcomes. Let’s take care of our directors, our staffs, and our creative teams. Because ultimately, we all combine to give the students the very best experience possible. 

Want more help? Don’t forget to send me an email and let me know what other questions you’d like to hear more about. Next week we will discuss how to continue to train students and staff utilizing the tools available to us during social distancing protocols. 

jordan@musiceffectdesign.com