Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • September 2015
11
Body – 5-8 minutes
are spent on marching
and fundamentals. All staff members are on deck
for relays that isolate specific movement used in the
field production. Only do the things that you will
use in your show, which might include forward and
backward marching, slides, choreography moves,
foot isolation, stride, and body carriage. These
should be fundamentals that you do regularly so
the students are comfortable and are truly warming
up for the time they will spend on the field during
their performance.
Music – 13-15 minutes
are spent on tone,
articulation, listening levels, tuning, and excerpts
from the production music. This might include
long tones, any specific articulations we perform
in our field music, balance, blending, individual
listening responsibilities, and tuning exercises.
Musical excerpts might include spot checks
on solos, small ensembles, technical passages,
dynamic palette, and any ‘special effects’ passages
that may be in the music.
During the music warm-up, staff members
and students can check on the sound levels
in the front ensemble, microphone levels and
functionality make sure all batteries in electronic
devices are fresh.
FINAL WORDS – 2 minutes
Traditions are important and contribute to
student ownership and pride of their band program.
Speak to your students about shared experiences;
students have personal reasons for why they do
things and have emotional attachments to their
marching shows. Allow student leaders to express
those feelings and offer up a motivational tidbit.
Speak about your collective musical and visual
goals; there seems to always be areas that need
improving, be clear on expectations in this area.
The most important part of sharing the journey
of the field production is to have fun and create
lasting relationships with one another. Students
continue to want to come out into the blazing hot
sun when the temperature is 100 + and repeatedly
go over and over the music and drill. They do
this because you make it worthwhile by modeling
patience, strong work ethic, self-efficacy, high
standards, and pride in what you do. Have a great
season!
Making Efficient Use of Your Warm-up Time at Marching Contest
Warm-up Breakdown
Kathy Johnson is in her ninth year at Argyle High School where her responsibilities include directing the high school Marching Band,
Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, teaching the beginner flute class and overseeing the instrumental music program in both middle school
and high school. She is privileged to have on her staff Michael Lemish, Asa Burk, Evan Fletcher, Bojan Gutic, and James McNair. Under
her direction, the Argyle High School Band earned the honor of performing at the Texas Music Educators Conference in 2009 as the TMEA
3A State Honor Band. The band is the reigning 3A State Marching Champion and earned this title in 2008, 2010, and 2012, and 2014. In
addition, the Argyle Wind Ensemble performed at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago in 2007. Both high school bands for which Mrs. Johnson is
responsible consistently earn Superior ratings at the UIL Marching and Concert and Sightreading Contests and Superior and “Best in Class”
awards at the various festivals they have attended. In 2009 the Argyle Band program was awarded the Outstanding Band Program Award
by the Texas Chapter of the American School Band Director’s Association. Other Argyle Band accomplishments include ATSSB Outstanding
Performance Series Winner and National Wind Band Honors Winner. Mrs. Johnson is a founding member and has played flute in the Dallas
Wind Symphony for the past 30 years. She is an active clinician and adjudicator in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex area and teaches at several
summer band camps throughout Texas. She attended The University of North Texas, where she received both her Bachelors and Masters
Degrees in Music Education. Her professional affiliations include the American Bandmasters Association, Phi Beta Mu where she is on the
board representing the small schools of Texas, TMEA, TBA where she is the representative for Region 2, the Association of Texas Small School
Bands, Women’s Band Directors International and the Texas Music Adjudicators Association. Mrs. Johnson resides in Flower Mound, TX.
