Intensity

Wednesday: The All County Exhibition.
Thursday: The Rained Out TOB
Friday: Homecoming and 8th Grade Invitational
Saturday: TOB Chapt ... oh, wait ... rain out
Sunday: TOB Chapters take 2!

Four shows. Five days. ("What is this, a drum corps?!")

It is an intense week for the kids in the band. Some had tests and had to study on the trip to and from the contest Thursday. Parents had to find ways out of work for chaperoning. And all of this is happening at the end of the season.

What came to mind this week is that this is where training starts back in August (or sooner). Not just musical, but training for the various physical, mental, emotional, and even nutrition and health (as it is, after all, cold and flu season) demands of this point in the season.

Training requires not just ongoing reinforcement, but a planned curriculum of what you will be training for. It requires coordination with the boosters. it requires flexibility by the parents and the students. But all of this has to be planned for in advance ... and communicated repeatedly.

I recent got my hand on a book by Wayne Markworth titled The Dynamic Band. (You can get it too at the book website or as part of the academic package of "From the 50 Yard Line".) Markworth was the long time band director at Centerville OH High School, leading the program for 35 years but never getting out of step with what it takes to maintain a contemporary marching band program. (While geared toward current and future band directors, band boosters should consider getting a copy as well, especially to review his chapter on booster-director relationships.)

Marching band is hard work. It requires intensity. Wayne Markworth has provided some salient guidance on how to get there. After all, if marching band were easy, it would be called ...