"On each page of their drill books, besides all of the marching stuff, I have them each find a motivation quote or statement. When I first hand out their set books I usually have one quote ready. I have them put it on the first page. Then as a "homework" project, I have them look [...]
“On each page of their drill books, besides all of the marching “stuff” I have them each find a motivation quote or statement. When I first hand out their set books I usually have one quote ready. I have them put it on the first page. Then as a “homework” project, I have them look [...]
For a “cool” treat at band camp, look for inexpensive personal fans as a surprise gift for your performers. Most discount stores sell them for less than $3.00 each and many have a string so they can carry them during drill rehearsals. Your performers will love you for it!
Have your students mark time while you are practicing off the marching field. This will help them get used to moving their hands and feet together and correctly so that when they get on the field, it won’t be as much as a challenge! -Danielle E. Paul, Color Guard Instructor, Monticello High School
To aid our girls in getting the drill/routine down I video the instructor doing the routine and upload it onto my computer. I then burn copies of the drills for each girl so when they are practicing at home if they get dazed and confused they can pop the disk in their pc and see [...]
“For any sections of the show that do not yet have routine, have the students spin a fundamentals exercise over it. You might consider having them spin for one set and then stop spinning for the next, then resume spinning on the third, etc. This helps them to learn how to spin and move through [...]
Here is an article I co-wrote for Halftime Magazine on Mastering Memorization . It has tips for performers on ways to make memorizing routines easier! The article is applicable to both guard and instrumentalists! Please visit their website and support this exciting new publication that features our favorite activities!
“Are your new girls having trouble seeing the complete guard form amongst all the other positions on their drill chart? Advise them to mark the guard’s form with one color highlighter and their own position in another color. It may take more time, but in the end they will be able to see the complete [...]
“Use a highlighter to mark the 50 yard line and hash marks across your drill charts. You will be amazed at the time you save searching for these important reference points when setting forms!” – Catina Anderson, Broad Run High School Guards
Equipment Transitions can make or break a show. They can be one of the most difficult aspects to design but also one of the most important. A bad transition can stop the flow of your show in it’s tracks, or even distract the audience from very important sections of music or visual effect. However, when [...]
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This has got to be the simplest Fun Friday craft project yet! It’ll only take you minutes (beyond gathering the supplies) but you’re sure to put smiles on the faces of your performers! ‘Flag’ Candy Canes Materials needed: Craft Felt Glue gun Sheet of paper Candy cane Instructions: Using the sheet of paper, cut a [...]
Remember in kindergarten everyone would gather around the teacher for story time? Everyone loves listening to stories, even high school kids! In our guard, we have ‘story time’ and it is connected to the development of our team core values. One of our values is to ‘Be good people’ and treat each other with respect. [...]
Materials needed: 20” x 50” fabric 2 x 80” pieces of cording Puffy paints, buttons, ribbon, bows, etc for decorating Cut 20” x 50” piece of fabric (you can alter the size to meet your needs). Fold in ½, right sides together. From top edge, mark 2” down. (Fig. 1) Using ½” seams, sew below [...]
This is a fun activity the entire band participates in! During marching season students create spirit bags for their own sections, for every performance. Spirit bags contain a few treats and some fun baubles from the dollar store (a glow stick, mardi gras beads, lip gloss, etc). Coaches and directors sometimes add a little note [...]
September is typically a tough month for kids since they have so many responsibilities, homework, the social scene of high school, and it can take some time to figure out the balance between life and marching band. It’s always the toughest time for my kids, even when they know the expectations of the guard. Once [...]
This has got to be the simplest Fun Friday craft project yet! It’ll only take you minutes (beyond gathering the supplies) but you’re sure to put smiles on the faces of your performers! ‘Flag’ Candy Canes Materials needed: Craft Felt Glue gun Sheet of paper Candy cane Instructions: Using the sheet of paper, cut a [...]
ON THE WEB: Band Saves Lives and Fundraises at the Same Time
We thought this was an interesting/unique approach to both service and fundraising – check out this New Jersey marching band that saves lives while also earning some money for their program. Win/Win!
ON THE WEB: Podcast about starting a brand new WG program
Episode 47 of the Marching Roundtable podcast series (posted December 12, 2011) is an interview with Tim LeBlanc – a guard instructor from TX who has also been a participant in the CGE community on Facebook – about his experience starting a brand new winter guard at a new school. Check it out! Episode 47: [...]
Remember in kindergarten everyone would gather around the teacher for story time? Everyone loves listening to stories, even high school kids! In our guard, we have ‘story time’ and it is connected to the development of our team core values. One of our values is to ‘Be good people’ and treat each other with respect. [...]
Budget-Conscious Costume Transformation
Being involved in the color guard world, we all know what it is like to be on a budget. Some of you are probably thinking, “What budget? I wish I had money to budget!” This year I needed to allocate more money for flag fabric since we purchased 2 shaded-silk swing flags for each member [...]
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