Where are the DIS Marching Band Directors???

[Pembo]

I went to my first band boosters meeting tonight and was SHOCKED when the director said that the show drill hasn't arrived yet from the designer. When did band directors stop writing their own drills????

My brother was a band director for a lot of years and he always wrote his own shows. I remember how excited he was when he could use a computer instead of drawing them out by hand.

So is that common practice???? To pay for your drill???

 

[golfgal]

I went to my first band boosters meeting tonight and was SHOCKED when the director said that the show drill hasn't arrived yet from the designer. When did band directors stop writing their own drills????

My brother was a band director for a lot of years and he always wrote his own shows. I remember how excited he was when he could use a computer instead of drawing them out by hand.

So is that common practice???? To pay for your drill???

Yes, it is VERY common practice. I don't know of a top band that DOESN'T do this honestly. It is actually pretty cool software they use, makes making dot books a lot easier and they can animate the dots so you can get an idea of what the show looks like. Our color guard instructor writes color guard drills for bands all over the country so he does do ours (obviously). Our old percussion instructor writes percussion for bands all over so he does our percussion as well (he moved to California so I don't know what they will do next year).

 

[clh2]

While this isn't specifically related to marching band...hence I am off topic...

My DD's middle school band actually spent REAL HARD-EARNED fund raising money to commission people to arrange music for the high school band. And to make matters worse, IMHO, this person then MADE MORE money as other schools purchased his arrangements.

After this...I must admit, I never did another band fundraiser again.

 

[LSURyan]

As drill became more complex, many directors find it more effective to hire experts. It is a skill and some are more skilled than others. I paid to have my drill written.

Did you know that we play music written by other people too? hahahahahahaha (please understand that's a joke)

 

[elbigvato]

Drill complexity isn't the only thing. Bands have become more and more competitive, and part of that is trying to find that "edge" the others don't have. Many times, directors believe that finding a drill writer will give them that edge. However, there are negatives to this.

For example, here in Texas, it isn't uncommon to find the same show marched by 2 or 3 bands at what we call the "Area" level. It comes down to which band can play it and march it cleaner.

I have realized that my own drill writing isn't the best in the world, so I do hire a drill writer.

 

[Piecey]

They don't all order it. Our director always wrote it. He left our high school a few years ago but has started doing drill for other bands on the side (he no longer directs a marching band)...

He was really good at it. We won... a lot. But band camp was miserable... I don't think he slept.

 

[mrsklamc]

DH is not a band director but he works in the world of competitive marching band. I asked him what percentage of the top band directors are writing their own drill. He said very few of them do, and if they are doing it for their own band, it's because they are good enough that they're doing it for other bands as well.

 

[golfgal]

Drill complexity isn't the only thing. Bands have become more and more competitive, and part of that is trying to find that "edge" the others don't have. Many times, directors believe that finding a drill writer will give them that edge. However, there are negatives to this.

For example, here in Texas, it isn't uncommon to find the same show marched by 2 or 3 bands at what we call the "Area" level. It comes down to which band can play it and march it cleaner.

I have realized that my own drill writing isn't the best in the world, so I do hire a drill writer.

Really?? Don't they buy propitiatory rights to that drill when they buy the drill? That would make for some boring competitions . Everyone around here has exclusive rights to their show each year. Most of the the top band sell their shows when they are done, heck a DCI corps bought OUR show from last year.

 

[Pembo]

Wow, thanks for the replies. I had no idea.

 

[klj27]

Our band director wrote ours this year but I believe he also wrote one for another local high school who is struggling.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I know that when DS was in high school marching band several years ago, our high school had previously written all its own shows. However, when we got a new band director, he convinced the school board to pay to have the drill written by a specialist "in order to be competitive with the top bands", he said.

If there are any high school band directors out there, I just wanted to thank them. During high school marching season, the number of extra hours put in is amazing. The many Friday nights at the band hall, on the bus, etc. chaperoning all those kids is amazing, to say nothing of the other weekend events (marching contests, for instance). Thanks!

 

[AristocatFan]

Drills are bought here as well. Some years the music has also been a purchased original score that we have later sold to other bands. We're in the middle of the competitve season right now for Track Shows. Both my boys are at band camp this week, man it's been quiet around here!

 

[NYUBwayBaby]

Our director never wrote ours, but he always had it custom made.

Starting my senior year he had one of the woman who assisted with the marching band write it. It was awful. She apparently did drum corp at some point, but the only marching that we knew she did at the time was with our high school band.

We did play three Disney numbers in the four years I was there- "Friend like Me", something from Pirates, and "Life's Incredible Again" from, well, the Incredibles.

 

[golfgal]

I know that when DS was in high school marching band several years ago, our high school had previously written all its own shows. However, when we got a new band director, he convinced the school board to pay to have the drill written by a specialist "in order to be competitive with the top bands", he said.

If there are any high school band directors out there, I just wanted to thank them. During high school marching season, the number of extra hours put in is amazing. The many Friday nights at the band hall, on the bus, etc. chaperoning all those kids is amazing, to say nothing of the other weekend events (marching contests, for instance). Thanks!

Our kids are at band camp right now. It has been in the high 90's, yesterday it was heat indexes over 100 and tornado warnings. Revile is at 6:30 am, lights out at midnight for 6 days--you BET they earn every penny-which actually works out to a few pennies/hour anyway.

 

[elbigvato]

Really?? Don't they buy propitiatory rights to that drill when they buy the drill? That would make for some boring competitions . Everyone around here has exclusive rights to their show each year. Most of the the top band sell their shows when they are done, heck a DCI corps bought OUR show from last year.

Alot of times, we are told that the rights are for a 100 mile radius. Well, if you look at a map of Texas, the "Area" I am in (this is basically the 2nd round of competition after the local contests) covers from Far West Texas (the El Paso region) to Odessa/Midland, then from the top of the Panhandle down to the Southern Border with Mexico.

I direct in the smallest division of schools, only having 150 students in the high school total. The nearest football game (other than at home) is 75 miles away. My local marching contest is 125 miles away. My "Area" contest (that we can only participate every other year - state rule) is usually a short 300 miles. That is how sometimes you will see the same show marched by different bands - you have 2 bands from opposite sides of the state marching the same show.

And yes, hearing a "Phantom of the Opera" show 4 times in competition can get rather boring!


Which reminds me, I need to find my measuring tape so I can stripe my field tomorrow......

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

My husband is a band director...and yes, it's hard work! He's actually writing the drill for his band, but it's only his 2nd year there and they're not at a super competitive level. He enjoys writing drill, and I bet in a few years he'll start doing it for other schools. This year, they're doing a Billy Joel show, and the music is a lot of fun! I also have a music ed. degree...but I teach the little kids...elementary music. My husband has been at band camp for the last 2 weeks, and I don't start pre-planning until next week...which I enjoy! We've already talked about him moving to a middle school band job before we start having kids, lol...I want him home at some point!

 

[monsterkitty]

I'm in a poor district. The high school director and I write the drills together. A few years ago the band director at the time paid to have the drill written. However, so many of the kids moved over the summer that the show had to be tossed a few weeks into the year.

Since about 90% of the kids in the high school program came from me, I know their capabilities and their limitations so we know what to write. While our kids aren't going to win any competitions, they have fun with the shows because we write the shows for the kids.

 

[okiebill]

I taught marching band at the high school level and university level for 23 years. In addiion, I was a DCI judge for 15 years. Therefore, I speak from experience. The current style of "artsy ***tsy show design is mainly for the
dance element. Entertainment has gone out the window. If I want to go to that type of show, I'll go to a ballet. Most bands I have seen over the past few years couldn't march there way out of a paper sack. Most of the music is boring. We have totally lost track of what marching bands are for. Teach music...Entertain football crowds...Keep band boosters happy. Can you hum (or whistle) a melody from the last half time show you saw?

 

[golfgal]

I taught marching band at the high school level and university level for 23 years. In addiion, I was a DCI judge for 15 years. Therefore, I speak from experience. The current style of "artsy ***tsy show design is mainly for the
dance element. Entertainment has gone out the window. If I want to go to that type of show, I'll go to a ballet. Most bands I have seen over the past few years couldn't march there way out of a paper sack. Most of the music is boring. We have totally lost track of what marching bands are for. Teach music...Entertain football crowds...Keep band boosters happy. Can you hum (or whistle) a melody from the last half time show you saw?

Well, I say I have to totally disagree with you. You are talking about 2 totally different marching band philosophies. There are some schools where their marching bands are there just to entertain the football crowds and to fun, crowd pleasing shows. Then there are the higher end bands that compete regionally and nationally that have intricately designed shows with fairly complicated formations, etc. Our band is one that competes regionally and nationally. I think maybe you should revisit some of the BOA shows or some of the more competitive marching band shows to see what I am talking about.

 

[Golf4food]

I think this is a DCI influenced problem among the Corp style bands more so than the average program. DCI shows are the ones with the weird music lacking in melody (when did Schoenberg write field shows?) Most non-corps bands I know in Florida still do more popular music and (try to) march and don't have much in the way of dancers.

I taught marching band at the high school level and university level for 23 years. In addiion, I was a DCI judge for 15 years. Therefore, I speak from experience. The current style of "artsy ***tsy show design is mainly for the
dance element. Entertainment has gone out the window. If I want to go to that type of show, I'll go to a ballet. Most bands I have seen over the past few years couldn't march there way out of a paper sack. Most of the music is boring. We have totally lost track of what marching bands are for. Teach music...Entertain football crowds...Keep band boosters happy. Can you hum (or whistle) a melody from the last half time show you saw?