Adjusting Plans Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic Part 1 (Drill Dojo Workshop)
I had been planning my Dojo Pyware/Visual Design Workshop for over a year, when I started hearing more and more about the oncoming pandemic. At first, I didn’t really think that much of it. But then the dominoes started to fall. March Madness was cancelled. What was I going to do? I’m a HUGE fan of March Madness! Then my thoughts started to turn to my workshop plans. Would the pandemic be over in time for participants to feel safe traveling? Would a group of more than 10 people be allowed to assemble by the end of June? Would the venue even be open by then? So many questions. That’s when I decided if the workshop were to survive it had to be 100% online. That moved me on to other questions.
What would a 100% online Pyware/Visual Design Workshop look like?
What materials would need to be generated to make it happen? Instructional Videos? Presentations that could happen via webinar?
What platform would be best suited for such webinar sessions? Zoom? (Everybody’s doin’ it!)
How many sessions would I need?
What would the workshop’s timeline look like? Does it need to last longer?
How would I engage individual participants via webinar?
What opportunities would there be for individual attention/feedback?
What should the cost be? It could certainly be less expensive since I wouldn’t need to cater food or pay for a venue.
Once I started asking and answering these 9 questions, it was clear that I had made the right choice. I started doing some checking around. As of today, I can’t find where anyone is offering such a workshop. Sure, there are some great webinar sessions out there being offered by Pyware and Marching Arts Education, but they can’t offer the individualized piece of the workshop that I hope to deliver. I have participated in many of those and again they are GREAT resources. My desire is to step up the game and offer something truly unique, practical, and affordable for any level of designer. So here is how the 2020 Drill Dojo Workshop will operate 100% online.
Software: I’m fortunate to be partnering with Pyware who will be supplying free use of the latest version of Pyware to every participant for 1 week. That week will begin Friday June 26 and end on Thursday July 2, 2020. System Requirements
Workshop Structure: The workshop will be divided into Part 1: Pyware Tutorial (June 26-June 29) and Part 2: Design Principles/Getting Your Design Started (June 30-July 2).
Part 1 will consist of self-paced instructional videos leading the participants (little to no Pyware experience needed) through a tutorial covering the basics of the software including overview, starting a new file, setting document preferences, selection tools (arrow, box, and lasso), drawing tools (arc, line, block, circle, and curve), manipulation tools (push, rotate, resize, and follow the leader), notation tools (label, text, and prop). There will also be a brief discussion of animation/real view features of Pyware. I’ve been using this tutorial for over 5 years with great success. I find that Pyware is a very powerful program with many features that can be overwhelming when presented all at once. I find better success when establishing some basic concepts while using fewer tools/features and then allowing the student to expand how they use the program over a longer timeline than a workshop or class. The Drill Dojo Pyware Tutorial will also be made available in PDF form. The instructional videos will be available for download through Google Drive and will become the property of participants as a reference resource after the conclusion of the workshop. Part 1 participants will be given Friday June 26 thru the morning of Monday June 29 to complete the Drill Dojo Tutorial. Part 1 will have a 2 hour wrap-up live webinar where participants may ask questions and discuss their experience thus far with Pyware.
Part 2 will deal more with the actual “nuts and bolts” of the design process. Pyware or any other design software won’t write drill for anyone. The software is merely a tool to organize, accurately notate, and communicate a design. Although Pyware will be the software used for demonstration purposes, there isn’t any reason this part of the workshop should be limited to only Pyware users. Part 2 will feature 6 live webinars (probably via zoon at no additional cost). Sessions will cover: Generating Visual Ideas, Organizing Ideas Before Opening the Design Software or Charting the First Dot, Moving Ideas/Information into the Design Software, Dealing With the Opening Set, Guidelines for Successful Visual Design, Instrument Tracking/Grouping, and Visual Orchestration/Staging Elements. Each presentation will be recorded and made available to participants. There will be a block of time set aside for individual discussion/coaching for all participants in Part 2. The intent of Part 2 is to not only help participants develop their “Design Toolbox”, but to also give them opportunity to begin a design to be performed by their band during the upcoming season.
ALL PARTICIPANTS ALSO GET ONGOING SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THEIR FALL SEASON. I am always an email away. I will make myself available for brainstorming design ideas, giving feedback on completed design, and help with how to best realize your design vision.
Individuals may participate in just one part of the workshop or bundle the 2 (and save). There are also savings for earlybird registration. To learn more about Pyware and the 2020 Drill Dojo Pyware/Visual Design Workshop, use the links below. I always love hearing feedback. Leave me a comment! —DB
