Print Research - 6

While online research eventually came easily enough for this topic, there are very few print sources for current information on marching band drill writing. There are a grand total of about 30 print publications on the topic according to WorldCAT, and of those, most of them are available at our music library here at the Jacobs School. However, only three titles have been published since 2000. While there is still a lot to be learned from older methods and styles, the modern competitive band has shifted dramatically from the bands of 1970s, 1950s, and certainly the early military-style bands of the 1920s and 1930s. However, given the relatively recent advent of drill writing software, some of the more intensive "analog" writing methods may provide some useful guidance for a beginning writer.

The Complete Marching Band Resource Manual - Wayne Bailey, Cormac Cannon, and Brandt Payne 

• My first impression of this text is that is a nearly all-encompassing resource for teaching and managing marching bands. I will definitely return to this book after this project.
• Since this book is rather thorough, I will focus on Chapter 2: Making Drill Design Concepts Work and Chapter 3: Designing and Charting the Show.
• Chapter 2: Making Drill Design Concepts Work
  • ​​This chapter opens with a set of vocabulary used to describe forms. Designations like open vs. closed, hard vs. soft, and static vs. moving can be helpful in planning contrast/similarities and in discussing and describing drill to others.
  • This text also includes drill examples of each of the concepts described, which makes it much easier to understand and contextualize. 
  • ​The next section gives similar vocabulary to types of drill movements. Rotations, follow the leader motions, and flexes are some of the most impactful maneuvers, and I plan to incorporate them into my writing.
  • ​The visual speed of the drill is an important consideration in the big-picture development of the show. Contrasting motion is one of the easiest, most effective ways of increasing visual speed while unison block motion does the opposite.
  • Staging sections and musically important moments are crucial aspects of show design and should always cater to the music. Placing sections in the power zone, the area between the 40 yard lines on the front half of the field, makes them visually relevant to the audience, which enhances the musical presence this area also provides 
  • The paths of marchers always have a default assumption based on the program you write for. In the Marching Hundred, the assumption is body facing direction of travel, at an 8-to-5 stride. In most competitive bands, the default is adjusted step size with upper bodies facing front/podium. Specifying departures from the norm is essential.
  • Considering the audience's perspective when creating shapes and pictures is important to the efficacy. The views of a form from field level vs. 30 degrees above vs. the press box can vary dramatically, so whenever possible, write forms that cater to all options.
• Chapter 3: Designing and Charting the Show
  • Selecting the right music is the most important aspect of show design. If music doesn't suit a situation, then no matter how effective the drill is, the show on the whole will lack efficacy.
  • Effective shows have some kind of dramatic change every 15 to 30 seconds. In the industry, this is referred to as the 15/30 rule.
  • The author recommends making a line graph before arranging and writing drill to chart overall energy over time. This seems to be a useful big-picture approach to maintaining an effective development.
  • Most movements of productions fall into one of four categories: mountain, valley, hill, or slope. Each is a metaphor for where the show starts and where it ends in terms of energy and intensity.
  • Score Study
    • The author suggests starting by listening to a recording of the music with the score and marking obvious set change moments.
    • Next, choose one word to describe each section. This is an efficient way to justify visual choices, and this would be great information to include in a production sheet.
    • Finally, listen to the recording with a blank sketchpad. Sketch any shapes that come to mind and jot down the measure number or time marking. These can be helpful during the concrete design process.
  • Charting the Show
    • The author recommends charting the most important/climactic set first and working backwards and out from there. This seems to be an effective solution. I've never written anything this way before, but I'm willing to give it a try.
    • The text does not explicitly cover this part, but now seems like an opportune time to chart other important sets from the sketches. Building secondary formations between these and the roadmapped sets seems like it would be an effective method.
    • The author recommends generally maintaining an even interval between marchers. Changing this can lead to logistics issues, but can also be an effective visual tool.
    • The text also recommends placing the auxiliary sections at a multiple of the band spacing. While I had never considered this before, this seems like an effective way to maintain uniformity and rightness of fit across the ensemble.
    • Most software will identify issues in step sizes far before drill goes to print. This is good to know!
  • Maintaining a consistent format for set numbers, measure designation, and musical directions is crucial for communication. I have been on the receiving end of some of these issues before, and a small inconsistency can confuse an entire band. While I have my own understanding and preferences regarding labeling, in the event that I write for another school, I will make sure to ask the staff what system they use so I can be consistent and easy to understand for the students.

The Marching Band Handbook - Kim R. Holston

• ​This text provides a rather extensive list of resources and production companies for marching band show design. While there isn't any information on the methods or processes themselves, a modern edition of this text will be quite useful when I'm a band director. However, this edition from 1997 is less useful to this project's development now. 

Modern Marching Band Techniques - Jack Lee

• This text was published in 1955, but includes a more administrative approach to directing a marching band. From this perspective, drill writing takes on a different face. My focus will be on Chapter IX: Charting the Football Band.
• This text advocates similar use of a production sheet and flowchart in designing  productions. The presence of these techniques in nearly all of my sources indicate their importance and effectiveness across multiple genres and technical approaches to the craft.
• The style of drill during the 1950s was largely based around block techniques of the preceding era and the development of picture shows. While neither of these techniques dominate modern drill design, they can be used for special effect or as transition materials.
• There are several examples of block maneuvers included in this section. These could be useful for transitioning between drastically different forms in a modern production or as a stark contrast to smooth, open curvilinear forms. 
• There is a lot of discussion on appropriate charting of pictures. This is a time when it is especially important to consider audience perspective and maintain a closer horizontal spacing than vertical spacing.
• I may return to this text to use some specific block maneuvers if the situation arises in my show design.