Programming for Small Marching Bands (that go to 11)
In my last entry (Designing for Small Bands), I stated that small bands have challenges that large bands do not and likewise, large bands have a range of problems that small bands never encounter. In this entry, I will be taking a look at the overall process of programming for small bands.
Before getting to my list of tips/ideas, I think it’s important to establish how important programming is to the small band. It’s difficult for ANY size band to overcome uncoordinated, inappropriate for the ensemble’s specific performers, or otherwise lacking programming. However, I think it goes without saying how important effective programming is to the small band.
I’m putting this list together with both the band that may be interested in the competition circuit as well as the Friday night crowd at the football game in mind. To me, an audience member is an audience member whether they buy a ticket or are being paid (read judge) to be there. Knowing your audience is a part of any programming just like a host of other points. This list is specifically aimed at the small band.
Alright, let’s get to the list.
Program music that is “Size Appropriate”. What do I mean by that? Stay away from big bombastic pieces of music. For a quick moment, hear (in your mind’s ear) The Great Gate of Kiev being played by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and that killer brass section. Can you hear it? Okay, now imagine a high school band with a wind section of 25 total players and a brass section of 12 playing it. Am I saying small bands can’t generate volume/excitement? Absolutely not! But, a small band has to pick its spots carefully. Shorter phrases. Shorter amounts of time at bombast. Of course, this can also depend upon how the music is arranged/orchestrated. There may be a way to use the same thematic material and it not need to be at quadruple forte the way I hear it in my head. Now let’s look not only at scale in relation to volume, but also time. A small band should be utilizing shorter time segments between events. Think quicker development of ideas (musical and visual) between major events. Be careful about segments with slower tempos lasting too long. Any good program will have a variety of tempi….Just don’t stay on the slow side for too much time during any one segment of the show. Keep things moving! Think shorter timeline for the show overall. If competing, use the minimum time requirement as a cue for how much music your show should contain. Fatigue will take over any band if they are performing for too long in relation to the band’s individual performance maturity/level.
Program music that is relatable not only to your students, but also your audience. This will mean knowing your students and your audience. Being relatable doesn’t necessarily mean the music is recognizable by title. Is it a style that is relatable/recognizable? This is also something that can be used for a portion of your production, If a portion of your show is relatable/recognizable by the audience, it will go a long way.
Don’t over program. Be objective when evaluating the level of musicianship/development in your ensemble. The marching band shouldn’t be playing music that is harder than the concert band does. A good rule of thumb is for the music in a marching show to be at least 1 grade level lower than that being played by the concert band. If the concert band = Grade 3, then the marching band’s music should be Equal to or Less than Grade 2. The secret to having a really dynamic small marching band is maxing out the contribution from every musical and visual performer. If programmed music is too difficult, then we are missing out on the contributions of our less experienced performers. Musical content doesn’t have to be difficult to be effective. Can there be demand somewhere in the production? Sure, but think of it as salt in a cake recipe. Sprinkle it in sparingly.
Be CLEVER. Do something that sets you apart from other bands your size. This can take shape in many different ways. A. The style of music you play. B. How the band looks (costume/uniform). C. Multiple uses for equipment/props. D. Characterizations.
Don’t limit your music choices to what is available from the large publishing companies. Every year it seems like there is the “required piece” for marching bands. Many years ago, I remember it being Pirates of the Caribbean. It seems like I went to a particular band contest and there were 3 bands in a row that played the same arrangement of music from the movie. Is it okay music? Sure. But 3 BANDS IN A ROW! Think about what this does to the audience? Plus, when you’re playing the exact same arrangement, it’s a little easier to make straight-up comparisons. As a director, do you really want that? Let’s say you have a band of 40 and you’re playing the same arrangement as a band of 140……. The reason these companies are so large/popular is that a huge number of bands buy and perform their music. If you also buy and perform their music, you will be one of the many that blur together in the foggy memory of the audience. Even if you are a Friday Night Only Band, there would be a chance that the other school’s band could be performing the exact same arrangement as you during the same halftime. Ugh. Of course budget can come into play here. Look for smaller companies that may have good product without the popularity if the budget doesn’t allow for having exclusive arrangements written for the band.
A trap many small bands fall into is that of only playing pop music. Pop music has an easy to follow and regular phrase structure that can render the show very predictable. You have to surprise the audience somehow, so if playing pop music, the band will need to rely on something visual to help. The other challenge in playing stock arrangements of pop music is the lack of texture changes in most. They keep everyone playing all the time. This can have a rippling effect into the visual design of your show. As it too will likely lack a variety of texture. The 2 are tied together. See #11 below.
Keep the show concept SIMPLE. Whatever your show is trying to communicate, keep it from becoming too elaborate. This principle can be applied to any show planning (big band, small band, etc.). Some of my favorite shows over the last 40 plus years in the activity have been very simple in nature. One big overarching idea that is presented in multiple ways. I’m going to cite the Cavaliers from DCI for this example. Check out 2002 Frameworks (the whole show is about framing visually), 2003 Spin Cycle (something is always turning), 2004 007 (James Bond relatable), and 2006 The Machine. Our time on the field is limited and too many story lines or scenes and our main focus gets mixed up and the audience can’t follow what we are trying to say. Keep it SIMPLE. Remember #3 above.
Be Cute. One of my mentors used to say, “The smaller your band, the cuter it needs to be.” I can remember a high school group this mentor consulted and designed for being the cutest band around. They looked different from all of the other bands in the area. They had a real band persona in regards to musical selections, uniform/costuming, and characterization and it worked beautifully. Explore ranges of emotion in your production. A 7-8 minute production that is all the same emotion will get tiresome quickly. Can you make your audience laugh, cry, think, etc? YES, YOU CAN!
Be watchful of battery percussion tuning. We band directors spend a lot of time emulating the DCI activity, so we want our drums to sound like those groups. Well, most small bands don’t have 60-70 member brass sections of 21 year olds on the field that can compete with a highly tuned battery percussion section. So, don’t crank up those snare drums quite so high. Kevlar is loud anyway. Should the style/genre of music you’re playing have something to do with how the battery percussion instruments sound? Probably. AND WHILE WE’RE TALKING PERCUSSION….
The overall production should have opportunities to highlight the segments of your ensemble (Brass, Woodwind, Percussion, Colorguard), but think about the amount of time these exposures last. Rather than having all of the Percussion exposure in a 1 to 1 1/2 minute percussion feature, build the moments into other productions. A small percussion section likely doesn’t have the resources in the ways of instruments or personnel to sustain a full blown Percussion Feature. Some consideration should be given to grounding a small section rather than moving around the field carrying 1 instrument (say you have a section of 6 or fewer in your battery section). Ground them so they can play more like a concert section would using a wider variety of instrument timbres.
Look for opportunities for Wind/Percussion Performers to be involved in ways other than just playing their instrument. Simple, but effecive choreography can go a long way. By having changes in musical texture where not everyone is playing, it is possible to have visual support from performers other than just the colorguard. Getting these changes in texture can be challenging when using stock arrangements that are available for purchase. But creative programming will use changes of texture throughout a production. As cited above, texture changes will have an affect on your visual design.
That’s the list of 11 for now. I’m sure I’ll think of something to add later on. I love to hear from readers like you. Please leave me a comment and/or share this blog with a friend.—DB