Monday, October 9, 2023
Congratulations! You have survived the start of the school year and October has arrived. The students are aware of expectations and heading towards demonstrations of goals. Whether you're making music indoors or outdoors, October can be hard! When I was teaching we used to call this month "PERSEVERANCE"! The term perseverance is defined as the continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failures or oppositions. As part of the student leader training, we would define the term then select the top 5 phrases or descriptors to focus on throughout the month.
Some of my favorites:
- Leave no stone unturned.
- Stay the course.
- Go for broke.
- Keep going.
One of the most impactful aspects of perseverance is grace. Do not forget what you have accomplished and give everything time to develop. We were constantly reminding the team that it is okay to make mistakes; to fail IS to grow. No matter what, you just can't give up. Don't make excuses; have a plan and stay focused. As a leader you have to give yourself some grace and recognize what is going well. So I challenge you, the music educators and makers of musicians, give yourself some grace. Look around and recognize all the good things that are happening. It is okay to make mistakes; it is okay to get frustrated, tired and have the feelings of "Octoberness". As long as you Leave No Stone Unturned, Stay the Course, Go for Broke and Keep Going, you will persevere in October! You have this!
There are quite a few things that I love about the fall... the weather is beautiful, the leaves change, there's a ton of football on TV, and it's marching band season! Bands across the nation are putting in countless hours coordinating drill right now, and one hurdle we all face each year is overcoming moments of phasing. As you know, fixing phasing issues is never a 100% black and white deal, and there are a few factors that have to be taken into consideration when figuring out which kids should be listening, and which kids should be watching.
- Which section is providing the pulse? (Pulse Center)
- Where is the Pulse Center located on the field?
- How far away is the student from the Pulse Center?
The answers to these questions, along with the chart below, will help kids begin to understand whether they should be listening to the Pulse Center, or watching the drum major during certain segments of the show. This chart assumes the Pulse Center (represented by the star) is near the center of the field, just behind the center X. The "listening area" will shift with the Pulse Center as it moves (or is passed) around the field. Whether a student should watch a drum major or listen to the Pulse Center all depends on how their placement on the field relates to the location of the Pulse Center.
It is the Drum Major's responsibility to conduct to the foot timing of the "Pulse Giver". Many times, this is the center snare. However, if the battery is not playing, the pulse giver changes to whoever's part has most steady beat, or one that is subdivided. Sometimes, only the front ensemble is playing. In that case, the listening area is pretty small right behind them. To avoid visual phasing, these are times when it helps to have strong leaders watching & counting for those around them.
For more information about sound delay, here is a fantastic YouTube video by Andrew Rogers.
I hope you will find this chart as useful as I have. Good luck out there & I look forward to seeing your show!
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