7 minute read
The Fall is Forever Away ... Until it Isn’t
by Lindsey Vento
How often do we, as pageantry nerds, (let’s face it, we all are, and proudly) feel as if “we have time”?
As a designer in this fast paced, overlapping seasons, cross fading activity that allows us minimal breathing time, I hear the above lines more times than I even I can keep track of. As much as I understand the need to compartmentalize the seasons of band and all the things, it’s these lines and “reasons” that create stress, tension, and that panic come mid-September ... spiraling into the need for “mental break for a few weeks” or “I can’t think about the fall season right now” reactions. Do you see the cycle? Let’s see if we can find some tools and ways to keep the fall marching band train on the tracks without you wanting to lay on them, shall we? It’s possible. I promise.
Things I experience most as a designer:
1. Chasing down answers and responses..we call this
“radio silence” 2. The assumption that “the designers will handle it” 3. Months of sporadic communication and then the panic email of “I need music/drill/choreo ASAP!!”
Let’s talk about how to find a better flow to the process and connection to your designers, with still keeping your sanity. WITHOUT THESE THINGS, IT JUST WON’T WORK. OR…I should say, it won’t work as well as it should.
The Radio Silence Effect – The Biggie!!!
The Radio Silence Effect is NOT usually intentional. Designers do not believe that band directors are “ghosting them”. However, intentional or not, it causes delays, unanswered questions, and a disconnect between the hired team and the in-house team that is hard to salvage once we hit the summer months.
wIn the months of January/February, I like to have concepts solidified and music source material in the works. This is with shared google drives or Dropbox folders, where the full team, designers and band directors, are active in uploading any music noodle that may stick to the wall. THIS DOES NOT MEAN I NEED A SHOW TITLE. It means we have a DIRECTION, an avenue…we know what we want to say and an understanding of the vibe and atmosphere we want to create. DON’T GET HELD UP BY SHOW TITLE. So many times I see band staffs not be able to exactly pin point every detail of the program in January and they either abandon ship for that conceptual direction or they lose valuable time trying to micro something that needs to stay macro for a bit. Your designer should be sending you copious emails during this time…AND YOU, AS THE DIRECTOR, NEED TO
REPLY AND ANSWER IN A TIMELY MANNER FOR ALL TO SUCCEED
• What is the budget for XYZ? (If we don’t know what we have to work with, it could result in a LOT of wasted time and effort) • Who are the “must feature” soloists or ensembles that we should showcase? (If you’ve got ‘em, flaunt
‘em) • Do you have a visual training plan in place to ensure this vision we have can work? • What companies are you committed to working with for costuming/props/silks, etc.? Or do you not have a preference? (This helps designers begin to work deadlines and know company requirements for production) • Do you have your percussion designer, sound designer, color guard choreographer and winds choreographer set or would you like me to solidify all of those individuals? (Knowing the full team and knowing who is managing each of these pieces helps avoid hold ups in the process!!)
These are all questions that MUST be answered before I, as a designer, can feel confident moving forward with any plans. Don’t sit on these emails/texts/correspondence attempts. Make them a priority.
This never should be the assumption. While you, as the director, have total faith in who you’ve hired, and we APPRECIATE THAT, never ever assume that “we got it.” I can’t tell you the number of times that a director didn’t pay an invoice for a custom band top (usually the designer and the band director are copied on the email, but if its invoice or money related, designers can’t handle that part!), didn’t follow through with the band parents on building that prop, or didn’t handle, or pay, for the music copyrights. These are things that will drastically hold up all production, and in turn student success, and these are things that should fall ADMINISTRATIVELY in your lap…
not the designers. You may have a designer who wants to handle all of these things, but that should be confirmed in an email or verbal conversation far ahead of time.
The “ASAP” Black Hole
Let’s face it, sometimes we just need things YESTERDAY. RIGHT NOW. LAST WEEK. FAST. This marching activity moves fast and the weeks move even faster. We get it. This “need it right now” happens at times if it’s an edit or we lost our soloist because of XYZ, etc.
BUT….
The “ASAP” mindset, and request, usually is thrust upon us as designers because of ***SEE ABOVE PARAGRAPH***. The missed communication of deadlines, timelines. The oversight of an invoice being paid. The delay in getting us drill numbers. All of these things happen at times, and we surely do not expect band directors to be mistake free. You are human. HOWEVER, that good ‘ole phrase of “YOUR LACK OF PREPARATION IS NOT MY EMERGENCY” is resonating in my ears as I type this. Designers will ALWAYS work overtime to fix, mend, edit, adjust the bush that is burning on fire. That is part of the gig, and we know that when we sign on, HOWEVER, if you can stay on top of emails, phone calls, prop parents, invoices, approvals, need by dates… THE ASAP APPROACH WILL RARELY BE NEEDED. What you must remember, is that even though we make such a massive effort to make everyone feel like a priority (because they are!!!), we have other clients, and other timelines, and other projects to also manage. Staying on top of things, and communicating timelines and dates early on will help everything run so much smoother! THE
STUDENTS BENEFIT MOST FROM THIS AND THAT IS OUR NUMBER 1 PRIORITY AS THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM!
This activity can be overwhelming. Being a band director IS OVERWHELMING. Period. Coffee bar for all, am I right?? The teamwork, collaboration, and relationship between designer and band director is EV.ER.Y.THING. Absolutely key. As designers we WANT this relationship and we want to talk with you OFTEN. That cannot start “after WGI” or “after the spring concert”….build that relationship and open communication EARLY so that “later” isn’t too late.
HAPPY BANDING…. and check your email!!!!
About the Author
Lindsey Vento is proud to serve the pageantry arts in various capacities, where she has served as an instructor, program designer, adjudicator, choreographer, and educational consultant. She has led and coordinated the designs for numerous teams resulting in consistent BOA and WGI regional and national finalists appearances.
Lindsey has served as the Artistic Director and Program Coordinator and The Academy Drum and Bugle Corps and as a visual team staff member at Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps. She proudly serves as the Design Commentator for Drum Corps International for the Big, Loud, and Live AMC theatre events, as well as the Championships quarterfinals and finals broadcasts. She is the artistic director and program coordinator at Blue Springs HS (MO), L.D.Bell HS (TX), Vista Ridge HS (TX), Westlake HS (UT), just to name a few. Lindsey is an active adjudicator with various state marching band circuits and Bands of America, and on the Educational and Clinician Team with Conn-Selmer, Inc.
She has her Bachelors of Music Education degree, emphasis in vocal music, was an active dance instructor and adjudicator, and performed professionally with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City before she decided to focus all of her efforts into the pageantry arts. She is the proud mom of three boys, who all share in the family passion of the pageantry arts.
