There’s only one secret to finding the best marching band show ideas. It’s a simple one, but also profound. Ready?
There’s no such thing as a good show or a bad show.
There’s only the right show for your band.
Your students should dictate the show you create for them.
At Total Visual Design, we always advise beginning the show design process by asking the following questions.
What are my students great at?
What can my kids do that others can’t… or won’t?
What are my band’s weaknesses?
At the simplest level, this means that you have to make an honest appraisal of which sections of your ensemble are to be featured, and which should not be. There’s no point in trying to march some hot, Latin jazz if your trumpets are weak.
But you also need to look outside the box at what talents are sitting right in front of you. Have an All-State bassoonist? Sure, that’s not the classic soloist for the field, but featuring something unusual will help you to stand out from the competitive crowd. How about the decent trombone player who has made himself a fabulous guitarist in his spare time? Or the passable clarinetist who’s also a lovely mezzo soprano? Give those students their chance to shine… and make your band memorable when the judge is filling out his rubric.
But why stop with musical talents? The baritone player who kills it for the drama coach, or the flautist whose had 10 years of gymnastics? The percussionist who taught herself to juggle on a unicycle for some reason? All of these are potential ‘moments’ that help your show stand out from the pack during a long competition day.
And more than that… when you build a show around your students and what they can do, you make it truly their show from day one. In terms of building buy in and commitment, there’s nothing better.
Not sure how to begin? Just want someone to bounce ideas off of?
Reach out to Total Visual Design today. Initial consultations are free, and we love talking about show design. It’s our favorite thing.