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Unity Rocket The "Concept" |
The Unity
Rocket Marching Band Dear Rocket Fans, What you see on the field is the result of a hard work, dedication, foresight, investment and enthusiasm. A marching band is a very big undertaking and there are many things that factor into this very creative activity. I thought I would take the time to put a few things on paper to help explain what we do in the creation and performance of a show and why. |
| Marching Band is the combination of
movement, music and
color. This synthesis is presented to the audience using the
football
field as our stage. Every element of our show begins with music. The mood, speed, and texture of the music dictate how the drill (formation design) is designed. In our format we do not make pictures we produce shapes that reflect the music. If the music is aggressive and strong you will see strong shapes: edgy geometric patterns, squares, fronts, triangles and blocks. When the music is relaxed or soothing you will see curves, circles and spirals. I design the drill and write the music. It is my way of saving the district money so we can invest in much needed equipment. It also allows me to personalize the design and write appropriate drill for our students. Most bands in our area will spend $1500 to $5000 on drill and music before the band ever takes a step on the field. Developing our own show in house allows us to maximize the talents and skills of our band while minimizing our weaknesses. It also makes our show truly unique with our own traditions and signature moves. The show has four parts, Opener, Concert, Drum Solo & Closer. This format is a proven classic style. In the opener the band both plays while moving. The Concert selection allows the band to focus on playing. The Drum Solo features our percussion section. This section of the show is designed to create excitement through speed and transition. The Closer finishes the presentation. Often it is a slower selection that allows the audience to relax before an energetic strong finish. The Color Guard is a very important element of our marching band. The guard not only marches forms with the band but also uses flags and body positioning to reflect the music. The flags used are designed to reinforce the mood and character of the music. Tonya Ayers, your new color guard instructor, not only teaches the guard work, she designs the flag work and drafted all the flag designs. Music Booster parents and my mother sewed the flags you will see tonight in the show. The props on the field are flats designed to make the band look larger, make the football field work more like a stage and allow the color guard to have a place to change flags. Joni McCowan has joined us to help in what we call marching and maneuvering (m & m) clean-up. With her background in music education, marching band skills and drum major experience she has been an invaluable asset in our preparation. In rehearsal she moves through the band correcting steps, positions, horn angles, facings and turns. This constant tending of our musicians improves their performance. You will often see 7-8 parents with specific jobs assisting the band. There were also many more parents behind the scenes helping our students with equipment, and uniforms. This parent participation will maximize the student performance and increase instructor effectiveness. We want parents to come and see what we do and how we do it. This is a very important and vital part of our program. We will constantly be striving for excellence in presentation and musicianship. It will be our goal to represent our school with strong performance and good character. This is only the beginning. |
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