Tips For Arranging This Year's Marching Band Show

Marching band is one of those activities that comes with collaboration, memories, camaraderie, and hard work that will last a lifetime. If you are a band instructor, it's important that you learn how to tap into what your students need so that you can motivate them and get the most out of every competition this year. The clock is ticking on marching band season, and the real work comes in planning out this year's upcoming show and how to implement it during band camp. 

With this in mind, follow the tips below so that your band is ready to compete and have fun this upcoming year. 

Plan your upcoming show well in advance and scout other high school bands

The sooner you choose your show for the upcoming marching band season, the sooner your students can begin learning it. Rather than simply waiting for band camp, the section leaders in your band should be tasked with handing out music to lower chairs and incoming freshman and should stay in touch throughout the summer to get as much practice in as possible. In order to become a seriously competing program, it always pays to get a leap on learning the music so that you are simply polishing it and adding routines once band camp arrives. 

Reach out to some marching band arrangers to get a feel for what kind of show you'd like to perform this year. Think about the different eras of music you are considering and the genres you would like to explore. Don't shy away from scouting other high school bands because this will give you some inspiration for your own show. By seeing what others have pulled off, you'll be more willing to play around with some ideas this upcoming marching band season.  

Optimize band camp and place a priority on physical fitness and mental focus

It's not enough to just choose an amazing show — you'll need to make sure that you can drill it and get your students to learn it to perfection. To make this happen, focus on physical fitness first and foremost. Mental errors start to happen during band camp once fatigue sets in. Because of this, a big part of the work should start with running a few miles and getting your marching steps together. 

Consider the information above when you are putting together this year's marching band show. Touch base with some arrangers that can assist you. 

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