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Posted
  JustAddWat3r said:
I've never learned a show backwards before. Danpod, care to do an analysis of Pros/Cons on learning a show backwards?

 

I know of a few programs that are taking this approach this season. Pro/Con Analysis of learning a show backwards.

 

Pros:

- The closer is usually the dirtiest part of a show, both musically and visually. For many programs, the drill for the closer isn't learned until the week of the last contest. This sometimes translates to a lackluster closer. Learning the closer first ensures that the program's weakness in the past is now it's greatest strength.

- Now that your closer has marinated through your brain for two months, your program is put in a position to make a huge impression on the judges. It will appear that your program has stamina, the ability to finish the show just as strongly as you started it. That can be quite advantageous, especially when there are several quality programs in the contest. A lot of programs seemingly run out of gas at the end of their eight minutes. Sometimes, they simply haven't spent much time on the closer to gain the same level of confidence that they have in the rest of the show.

 

Cons:

- If your closer is learned first, it is highly likely that your opener will be learned last. This may create a simple bout of confusion, especially when trying to work backwards and add on sets in reverse order.

- If your opener is the part of the show you've spent the least amount of time on, it can cause many performance problems. We've all been out on the field during crunch time. Sometimes, these performances go by so fast, you can barely remember what the heck just happened. It is extremely important to get off to a great start because the momentum of your performance will naturally snowball. You have to have a high level of confidence right from the beginning and spending less time on the first part of your show can compromise the integrity of that confidence.

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Posted
  Danpod said:
I know of a few programs that are taking this approach this season. Pro/Con Analysis of learning a show backwards.

 

Pros:

- The closer is usually the dirtiest part of a show, both musically and visually. For many programs, the drill for the closer isn't learned until the week of the last contest. This sometimes translates to a lackluster closer. Learning the closer first ensures that the program's weakness in the past is now it's greatest strength.

- Now that your closer has marinated through your brain for two months, your program is put in a position to make a huge impression on the judges. It will appear that your program has stamina, the ability to finish the show just as strongly as you started it. That can be quite advantageous, especially when there are several quality programs in the contest. A lot of programs seemingly run out of gas at the end of their eight minutes. Sometimes, they simply haven't spent much time on the closer to gain the same level of confidence that they have in the rest of the show.

 

Cons:

- If your closer is learned first, it is highly likely that your opener will be learned last. This may create a simple bout of confusion, especially when trying to work backwards and add on sets in reverse order.

- If your opener is the part of the show you've spent the least amount of time on, it can cause many performance problems. We've all been out on the field during crunch time. Sometimes, these performances go by so fast, you can barely remember what the heck just happened. It is extremely important to get off to a great start because the momentum of your performance will naturally snowball. You have to have a high level of confidence right from the beginning and spending less time on the first part of your show can compromise the integrity of that confidence.

 

 

Also, for those who are like me and when browsing through shows only look at the opener, that could be bad.

 

Plus (wether this is true or not Iwouldn't know) I think that if the first thing the judges see is dirty, then that leaves a negitive impression on the band.

Posted

Better than us, man. We barely have half the drill for the opener written for us. One of the problems with contracting Youngblood to write your drill at the tail end of the summer, when he's getting into actual band-director duties at TCU.

Posted
  whitewing09 said:
Our drill writer stinks, inmho

 

 

dang our drill writer has been on top of things this year.

 

although this is the first year we've ever had drill written by someone else for us. our director usually does it.

 

But he has been getting us new sets everyday and even updating past sets to make it better everyday.

 

Any idea who's writing your drill?

Posted
  treyj said:
dang our drill writer has been on top of things this year.

 

although this is the first year we've ever had drill written by someone else for us. our director usually does it.

 

But he has been getting us new sets everyday and even updating past sets to make it better everyday.

 

Any idea who's writing your drill?

 

 

Mr. Ford does ours.

 

He does some cool stuff sometimes, but sometimes, I don't know what he is thinking.

Posted
  lhsfluter said:
Don't feel bad.. He only gives us like 5 charts a week.. I think he has another band on priority. But that's just my opinion.

 

Youngblood writes drill for like a gazillion bands (Sam Houston State being one of them). I'm surprised he even needs to maintain a teaching gig when he's got that many clients for drill writing.

Posted
  whitewing09 said:
Aren't drills usually pretty expensive??

 

A few thousand dollars (anywhere from 1-5) depending on who you get, the size of your band, the number of sets, etc. You might be able to get cheaper for smaller bands and newer drill writers.

Posted

Michael Burress is writing ours this year.

 

I have no idea how much we're paying.

 

But it's definetly great drill.

 

Some pretty interesting ideas and very different from other larger bands.

 

But seeing as we only march 80 we have to be different and take more risks in our drill to be able to compete with the larger bands in area b.

 

lol

 

But i'm impressed with the drill this year

Posted

our director writes ours...

 

 

and it's very convenient.... because idk anyone else that can teach the stuff he writes for us... he's nuts... but in a good way =]

 

 

but yeah... i'm stoked about this year... we don't play as loud... but that actually might be a good thing seeing as how our band is known for sloppy playing and blasting... and the drill is looking VERY good for the second week.

 

 

probably better than it did at arlington last year... (slight exaggeration)

Posted
  marcomac29 said:
our director writes ours...

 

 

and it's very convenient.... because idk anyone else that can teach the stuff he writes for us... he's nuts... but in a good way =]

 

 

but yeah... i'm stoked about this year... we don't play as loud... but that actually might be a good thing seeing as how our band is known for sloppy playing and blasting... and the drill is looking VERY good for the second week.

 

 

probably better than it did at arlington last year... (slight exaggeration)

 

OUR BAND IS KNOW FOR THAT TOO! lol but we're refining that this year thank gosh

Posted
  marcomac29 said:
our director writes ours...

 

 

and it's very convenient.... because idk anyone else that can teach the stuff he writes for us... he's nuts... but in a good way =]

 

 

but yeah... i'm stoked about this year... we don't play as loud... but that actually might be a good thing seeing as how our band is known for sloppy playing and blasting... and the drill is looking VERY good for the second week.

 

 

probably better than it did at arlington last year... (slight exaggeration)

 

 

yeah not gonna lie i loved when dixon was here writing our drill not having to have meetings with the drill writer everyday and changing stuff. you can jsut do it on the spot

Posted

I was part of a little circle of people that passed around an offer of $500 to write drill for a 27 piece military marching band in New Waverly (a little A or AA High School just outside of Huntsville). The school couldn't afford a professional writer and I'm guessing decided to bring in an amateur since no one in-house obviously had the time. Looking back I probably should have taken it but I didn't have the knowledge (military style), experience, technology (Pyware), or the interest (besides the money) for the undertaking. Everybody else who was in on it were morons too. One of the guys who was asked actually WANTS to be a drill writer after college but I guess felt like writing for military corps style was beneath his dignity.

 

You gotta start somewhere I say :/ .....Drill writing (and composing for that matter) isn't an easy business to break into.

Posted

Tonight is MEET THE BAND NIGHT!!

 

yay :D

 

i cant wait i am excited!!!

 

well im off to go to the stadium for a rehearsal then the performance at 7 :)

 

 

 

 

CYA

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