Multiplication by Division?

Let's do a countdown, shall we, starting with ...

6 - USSBA groupings, based on total band size.
5 - The State of Texas UIL (school size)
4 - Band of America (school size), TOB (winds), Cavalcade of Bands, ISSMA
3 - WGI (World, Open, A), a possible expansion from ...
2 - classes based on ability (DCI, USSBA*)

1 - "champion"?

How much is ... too much? How do you compare "like" bands, especially in contests where too many cuts make for too few competitors, leading to watered down championships? When does a band (and school - and face it, sometimes directors need "wins" to satiate principals and boosters and to justify ongoing investment in the marching program) start to break away from seeking quality, constructive and educational evaluations, and move in the direction of self-esteem contests?

I believe in the value and values of a marching program, to the kids, school and the community. The marching band is the one music education entity that touches the community, not just the parents.

Maybe in starting, or immature, programs some self-esteem is necessary. But this isn't life, and it isn't music education. Music education means the kids get scholastic adjudication. That being said, what does that mean?

One of the things I often wonder is what is the right balance of music (and the validity of percussion sub-captions), visual (with or without the color guard sub-caption), and effect (music and visual). Consider this:

... TOB weighting is 40% music, 20% visual (performance), 40% effect
... USSBA weighting 40% music, 30% visual, 30% effect
... BOA weighting is 20% music, 20% visual and 60% effect (although 2/3rds of that is music effect, upon which arguments that they are 60% music can ensue)

TOB and USSBA use other classifications based on ability, which I think is appropriate. But when you get to large bands, are you just watering it down? Some large bands can be thought of as "developing" marching programs, no doubt, but by breaking them into ability classes are you rewarding their achievement or encouraging their mediocrity?

Does "over"-weighting effect put too much emphasis on design (or, "the adults"), or is this a reward of how much the kids learn (or how well the teachers teach?).

I'm not an educator. I'm a band geek ... and band parent. I believe the scholastic programs should be education based, not design based, rewarding the teaching and the student.

Little wins do matter and they are necessary. (I use the term "little wins" from the business lexicon). But we need to encourage development and growth of the program and the kids.

So if it was up to me ... Two classifications ... two "5 Box" scales ...

Classification I - for the "leading bands":

* Music Performance - 30% ... 20% music, 10% percussion
* Music Effect - 20%
* Visual Performance - 30% ... 20% ensemble (which is an outgrowth of individual), 10% guard
* Visual Effect - 20%

It is "marching (and) band", after all. With this scale music and visual performance are balanced (50/50 on this scale), and performance is given greater credit than design (60/40 in this case).

Classification II - for the "developing" bands:

* Music Performance - 40%, with no sub-caption
* Music Effect - 20%
* Visual Performance - 20%, with no sub-caption
* Visual Effect - 20%

Here performance and music are given greater weight, and music outweighs visual, because from what I have seen developing programs are weaker in fundamentals and music, and this encourages development and growth in those areas.

Program growth - more kids, more bands - is the multiplication effect of this division!

This, of course, will be debated among circuits, among states, among regions ... but I am optimistic it will be settled soon. In fact, I'm told that the experts will get right on it!

After NCAA Division I Football Playoff's implemented. And Texas high school football goes back to A-AA-AAA-AAAA-AAAAA playoffs. And Indiana returns to one high school basketball state champion.

National ChampionS

Plural.

Nazareth Area HS Blue Eagle Marching Band won the USSBA National Championship. (As they say, "Wahoo!")

Avon HS Marching Black and Gold was crowned Bands of America Grand National Champion. (LD Bell, last year's champion, was second, leading to the following IM comment: "Ding dong. Avon calling.")

There are countless state champions, too - divided by various classes - and other associations such that award "super-regional" championships such as the Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Champions and the Western Band Association and others I know I've missed. (Note: The TOB link will take you to a high school band site that is generally more up to date that the TOB home page).

In a way, crowning a National Champion in band is like crowning a national champion in college football. Lots of divisions, lots of bowl games or playoffs, lots of polls - er - scoring methodologies and philosophies. And not everyone competes at a certain level, even if they could. Witness the debate about non-BOA appearing Flower Mound (TX) Marcus HS band! A national high school football champion is nearly easier to award (witness the USA Today weekly rankings).

Professionally I work in medical practice management with a focus on anesthesiology. Finding the "right" and "best" is about as hard. Is the care team best or not? (Band speak: Do we count the guard in the members or not?) What is the optimal way to determine a band class - experience, band size, school size? (Anesthesia speak: Is medical direction best at 1:3? 1:4? 1:10? Or does it matter?)

Besides, how do we weight General Effect and Music? (Anesthesia speak: What is good vs. excellent vs. superior anesthesia care? Well, yeah, they wake up and are pain free, but the bedside manner was a mess and the case is always delayed, so ...).

I wrote before, I think, on one of the best bands I saw - a relatively small band from a relatively small Texas border town winning Class 5A, where then big boys and girls play. It hasn't happened since then.

Lately I have wrestled with the concept of excellence, especially personal sustained excellence. It is not easy, nor is it easy to do in everything. We succeed. We fail. We fail at previous successes. We succeed at previous failures. Sometimes we fail a lot and figure out that maybe we shouldn't play that game, or use that particular scoresheet. Sometimes we succeed and own the game. Sometimes we succeed and forget to check to see if the rules changed.

So are we all champions? Well, clearly we cannot be. But we can at least give our best in the field of play, whatever it is, and we can give our best at each "game".

I guess all of this is to say what a National Champion really is (six words?): Singular performance in a singular time.

Contemporary Flashbacks (A Review of TOB Chapter 9 Championships)

It was a beautiful day for a band contest, and so I went to see most of the TOB Chapter 9 championships. In a way, it was a contemporary flashback.

As is the case this year, Huntingtown (playing 1980s MTV hits in "Video Killed the Radio Star") and Annapolis Area Christian School ("... But the Greatest of These Is Love") battled it out with two very distinctive but well performed shows. I think the recaps came down to music, which I gave to AACS but the judges gave to Huntingtown. AACS had strong effect, but maybe were dragged down by their visual performance, which is rougher than usual. Kudos to Brandwine for a taking on some difficult music by Ron Nelson ("Rocky Point Holiday" and "Sonoran Desert Holiday"). It was a good arrangement, at the right level, and therefore was well played by the kids. The guard (3rd overall) was enhanced by thoughtful design that allowed them to be featured. The third place band, Parkside, had a nicely done show that didn't quite match the title. If it was up to me, I would have called it eMotion, because that is clearly what they demonstrated - emotional variety and a lot of good movement!

The Towson University Marching Tiger Band did what they usually do - halftime! That is the first time I've seen this band, and they mixed one part corps style and two parts "college band" into a recipe for a show that was fun for the audience and great for recruiting. Did you know every member of the marching band gets a $500 scholarship?! Too cool!

Group 1 Regional and Championship divisions bookended Group 3. The Group 1 bands are smaller, and to some less talented. This is the first time that I really sat through the Group 1 bands, and I can tell you, talent is not what they lack! What they lack is just sheer numbers. I don't know if it is because the school is small, or the school district discourages music, the feeder programs are weak, or all of the above. But the enthusiasm of the kids and staff (about 1:8 staff:kids) was phenomenal. I don't think any had more than 18 winds, a half dozen percussion and rarely that many in guard. For that reason, the demand on each individual member is high, but they have to still be an ensemble. The result?

Calvert playing entertaining funk (and recovering nicely from a runaway sousaphone bell) ... Delaware Military Academy shedding their "military bearing" for some slow-then-fast rock ("Come Sail Away" by Styx and "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney's other band) ... McDonough putting "West Side Story" on the field in a way that required every member to contribute at a very high level ... Laurel having fun with music from tense and scary "Movies You Watch in the Dark" (which I think is all movies, but you get what they mean!) ... LaPlata (6 percussion, 2 front ensemble, 3 guard, 3 sax, 1 bari sax, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, and 1 trumpet) capturing the nightmarish darkness of the music by Danny Elfman ... Thomas Stone resurrecting high school memories with with the music of Styx ... and champion Chesapeake not being fearful of music and drama, bringing out the hidden talents of their kids.

I came from a small band. Memories get fuzzy after 25 years, but I hope anyone who saw us perform maybe had the same feelings I did watching these bands.

Of course, MP is in the Group 3 bands. Meade started the group with a neat take on "The Four Seasons", setting you up for Vivaldi but then playing more contemporary music ("Autumn Leaves", holiday favorites, and even "Summertime"). Severna Park followed with "Les Misrables", led on and off the field by their award winning pit crew and drum major. I have really come to admire the drum major of this band (see the previous post). He runs a great rehearsal, is positive in his criticism, friendly to everyone and yet still commands their respect. (MP, I hope that rubs off on you some!)

The State of Delaware then took the field, starting with Middletown taking a little bit of Cadets-inspired narration to a show that opened up "Pandora's Box" and landed them in 5th. Smyrna ("smur-na", not "smeer-na") also went 1980s, finishing their season with solid accomplishments and a 6th placement. It is too bad they are short of funds to go to the ACCs or even the USSBA championships. They are a good band with a good contingent of staff that still marches today.

Of the next four bands, William Penn (4th), James M. Bennett (3rd, from nearly-Delaware Salisbury on the Maryland Eastern Shore), and Caesar Rodney (1st) all performed well rounded shows. They were well designed, musically strong and competently performed. But my first place (and the judges 2nd) was the Cab Calloway School of the Arts.

A school of the arts gears itself toward cultivating the most talented visual and performing arts students. (My sister went to one of the best!) The students are good artists and musicians intent on becoming better. But in all these years I have never seen a school of the arts with a marching band. Until now. And this one is GOOD!

Performing "The Rodin 47" (go to the band website for a listen) the Cab Calloway band was not just musically strong (which you would expect) and guard strong (which you may not expect but when you think about it you should), but they were visually strong, too! The entire band was thematically costumed, and the marching was taken as seriously as the music. (My initial reaction in a text message: "I just saw a drum corps!") Since SPHS isn't going to Allentown, I wish this band the best!

So with 80s music, small bands and a nice November night, I definitely was flashing back 25 years ago to my own Texas high school days. But unlike TV's "Life on Mars", this still had modern twists!

(P.S. Congratulations to Maryland's Westminster HS on a 4th place finish at the BOA Super Regional in Atlanta.)

Wind, Rain, and some Thunder

Wind and rain canceled today's performance. I feel bad for the kids, who missed the chance for performance and adjudication (but they got in some quality time on the bus and at McDonald's!). I feel bad for the host band, too, because having been there on the drum corps show side, a shower can sometimes cause you to take an unneeded (financial) bath.

Hopefully this weekend was it for rain - at least until bands start to move their performances indoors! It's ironic that most "indoor" marching venues are not in the mid-Atlantic, but in places like Indianapolis, Atlanta, St. Louis, Dallas, Phoenix, or Tampa. So, for the next two weekends, we need some clear skies for a series of band events coming up ...

- TOB Chapter IX Championships at Broadneck HS (near Annapolis) on November 1
- County Marching Band Exhibition at Annapolis HS on November 4
- USSBA National Championships in Annapolis on November 7-8
- USSBA Anniversary Celebration in Baltimore on November 9

Who would have thought Annapolis is the alternate center of the marching band universe! We have everything Indianapolis has ... well, except a retractable roof stadium.

Speaking of Thunder, I heard from my good friends at the Carolina Thunder Percussion Ensemble. About 10 years ago this group took some very innovative shows to the WGI World Percussion championships, one of my favorites being Leonard Bernstein's "Overture to Candide", played and marched forward - then backward.

After a hiatus, the group has re-emerged as the official percussion ensemble of the Carolina Panthers. I've noted before that other NFL teams have bands or ensembles - it's good to see the Panthers have connected with some great people to bring some fun to the pre-game!

TOB G3 ACC 2007

Saturday was Severna Park’s final show of the season at the Tournament of Bands Group 3 Atlantic Coast Championships. I was very proud of the band and their last performance of The Phantom of the Opera. The little additions since I last saw them made a difference, I think ... the staging with the tarp looked great! Of course, I love music of the night ...!

It’s a cool thing to see your kid march – I like watching bands but I found myself watching him. Such as it is! It's a good thing I watched, though; the Jolesch photographer didn’t get him a single time. And I think as much as TOB announced this as their new home, the stadium isn’t right. No concert side restrooms. Astroturf so old it had a sheen. I don't know if this facility is right for this type of event - the students deserve better.

I didn’t stay for the Top 10, but I enjoyed everyone else! Concord (DE) had an Irish theme, but no leprechauns with a 7’ drum major! (OK, maybe not that tall, but tall!) Middletown (DE) did a nice job with Ron Nelson’s magical Sonoran Desert Holiday. South Hagerstown (MD) was pleasing to watch with well known Russian-themed music taking us from revolution to revolution. Elkins (WV) had a Wicked show featuring music from the Broadway hit! I loved the bubbles to start out - they went all over the stadium - but the blow up emerald city and golden Oz was distracting. Bloomsburg (PA) gave us the first robust sound of the evening with a show concept of flight. Lower Dauphin (PA) storm-themed show was a bit confusing to the announcer, but I loved it with use of the huge, angled, window panes. They show was well designed, marched and played and is one I would pay to see again! They became my top ranked show of the night at this point.

JM Bennett (MD) did Humanity and they seemed a bit off from previous viewings. Pennsauken (NJ) titled their show Evolution, but my title for this was “New Spring”. The music was well integrated and the guard was very impressive! Shikellamy (PA) – I love that uniform, especially the hat. Thanks for getting us in a New York State of Mind. Camp Hill (PA) became my new #1 of the night with a great jazz sound and marching program. Parkland (PA) brought the set of five to a pleasant close.

After the break was the last set of five I stayed for. And I’m glad I did! Egg Harbor Township’s (NJ) Canon in D was very well conceived and then performed to the first level of "wow!" The arrangement fit the theme of Deconstruction and Reconstruction. The electric bass was perfectly balanced with the band – making up for a lack of low brass – and the woodwind sound was solid. I’d pay to hear this again, but the excellent marching would make it worth seeing, too. My top band of the night!

Calvert Hall (MD) sent Postcards from New York City, accompanied with a rich sound and a great sax soloist. Urbana (MD) took the concept of the heart – usually reserved for love themes – and make it aggressive. I loved the attitude of adrenaline and heart attack! Old Bridge (NJ) took us on a different scenic tour of NYC, this one via the subway, connecting themes of the city (Harlem Nocturne, Take the A Train, and a hint of others) in the great ride. Mifflinburg (PA) sent me on my way with some favorite selections of one of my all time favorite composers, Leonard Bernstein.

Scores aren’t posted yet – we’ll see what the judges thought!