Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • September 2013
20
dilemma isn’t too tricky; the key lies with as few as two
people (the DM and the battery member that will serve
as the visual focal point before becoming the audial
focal point). Both must understand how far ahead of
the ensemble sound they must conduct/march/dut in
order to clean the entrance. Simple trial-and-error can
fix this so long as the students
get the feedback they need to
make appropriate adjustments.
#3 – The Large Company
Front or “End-zone to End-
zone” Spread: Everyone
hypes the field coverage; but,
if the musical lines are too
active, this gets sloppy in a
hurry.
Please tell us that the battery
is staged in the center of the
field. Ok, good. Now, consider less of a spread. If
the path into and out of this form allows, you could
adjust a two-step interval to a one-yard interval. This
might decrease your lateral spread by many yards. If
possible, this drill re-write could lead to a slightly more
manageable staging, allow for all marchers to cover
down to a painted yard-marker on the field, and still
give you and your audience a fairly large company front.
Now for the tricky part: rehearsing the ensemble
in this set. Begin by setting up your drum major with
a metronome and headphones. All repetitions of this
phrase should be started silently by the drum major
(no dutting allowed). The drum major must stay with
their metronome at all times. The first goal is to get
the performers outside the 30 yard-lines watching
the drum major and getting their feet and sounds
together. Ignoring the other side of the field should
be easier than ignoring the battery and performers
toward the 50 yard line. Next, layer in the performers
outside the 35 yard-lines, then the 40 yard-lines, then
add the entire field ensemble. Lastly, layer in the front
ensemble. The FE, and marchers between the 40
yard-lines should listen straight back to the battery
and block out all other sounds. Marchers outside the
40 yard-lines should watch the drum major and learn
to ignore the sounds coming from inside the 40 yard-
lines and from outside of their
position. Again, this is difficult!
The performers must “live on the
edge” in this staging. If they listen
around them, they will perceive
a dirty mess. They must be
taught to watch and remember
the specific “craziness” that they
experienced in that moment
when the staff finally told them
that it sounded good from up
front!
#4 - Phasing While the Battery is Tacet: The
ensemble is performing at a moderate to fast
tempo and the musical ensemble is struggling
to stay together without the battery. Should we
employ “cheater beats”?
Sometimes, the absence of drum parts is exactly
what the music demands. You have three choices:
Continue on with no battery percussion music, add
battery percussion music, or use “cheater beats”. Many
people carry on with the hope that the band will
eventually just “get it”. Often, they run out of time
and add “cheater beats” from a snare drum or bass
drum just before a performance as a last-minute fix.
Hopefully, you can develop the ensemble past this
issue. Many times, the “cheater beats” become a crutch
that the ensemble can’t live without. When the need
for “cheaters” arises, explore the following route: On
the fly, a smart battery instructor can identify the right
player(s) and rote-teach them an ostinato (perhaps
derived from existing thematic material) that is more
The Unique Demands on the Marching Musician