Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • September 2012
11
give your students plenty of opportunities to perform
exercises at those tempos. If your show uses time
signatures other than 4/4 or 2/4, create exercises that
give your students the opportunity to move and play in
3/4, 6/8, etc. Additionally, you can create articulation
exercises based on reoccurring show
rhythms. Working on these rhythms
on a concert F or other notes will
allow you an additional opportunity to
address fundamental articulation skills
while cleaning your show. At the end of
each exercise, perform the applicable
excerpt so that your students may
easily apply the fundamental skill.
Sett ing your students up for
a successful performance
When weekly rehearsals are over,
it’s time for our students to apply
their hard work and have a great
performance! Teenage students are
generally uncomfortable performing in
front of large audiences. It’s our job as
directors to do what we can to make
them feel confident and comfortable
before they set foot on the field.
The first step to a successful performance warm up is
to have a plan. Create a written, minute-by-minute plan
listing everything you want your students to do during
your warm up time. Be conservative with how much
you want to accomplish during your warm up. The
students should not feel rushed or tired and, as such, it’s
better to have a little extra time instead of not enough.
Use any extra time to talk your students through the
show and build their confidence. As you are planning
your warm up, choose exercises that your students will
achieve at a high level the first time. The students must
feel confident as they prepare to take the field.
A performance warmup is not the time to teach a new
exercise, as it will only create confusion and insecurity
for the students. Do not choose exercises that may
need to be repeated as a result of poor performance.
Stress the importance of “one and done” with your
students to help them understand they
will only have one opportunity to have
a great performance. Remember, a
performance warm up is not the time
to clean your show. It will only add to
your students’ nervousness.
Additionally, the ability to
communicate clearly and effectively
with your students during your warm
up is an integral part of helping
your students feel confident and
comfortable before a performance.
At football games, you have several
distractions including noise from the
announcer, the fans, and the other
band. During a contest warm up, there
are usually several bands warming up
in close proximity. For most contests,
you cannot use wireless amplification
to communicate with your students.
With all of these hindrances it is a difficult task
to communicate clearly with your students. There
are two important steps you can take to overcome
these distractions. First, create hand signs for your
fundamental exercises. Using hand signs for your
exercises will allow your students to see what you want
them to play while also forcing your students focus on
the task at hand. Second, practice your show warm
up plan exactly as it will be at your performance. By
practicing the show warm up process it will be easier
for students to anticipate each exercise and, as a result,
have more confidence.
Achieving Maximum Potent ial Wi th Minimal Time: Effect ive Strategies for Marching Band
Create a wri tten,
minute-by-minute plan
l ist ing everything
you want your
students to do
during your warm up
t ime. The abi l i ty to
communicate clearly
and effect ively wi th
your students during
your warm up is
an integral part of
helping your students
feel conf ident and
comfortable before
a performance.