guard show

guardboi · Post by **guardboi** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:32 am

okay this is my first year teaching guard is it me or is everyones winter guard show done... well i have a delimea because my band director expects me to have a whole guard show written already... so what should i do my band director is a major pain... this person is quit mean to the staff especially in thier first year of fielding a winter guard so what should i say i am very non-confrontational so guys help me out here please

MusicCoach · Post by **MusicCoach** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 2:40 am

Hi! guardboi

I was wondering what do you mean by you have to write the Drill Charts for winter guard or does our director does that. Secondly, you just got got be patient with your director. Yes! Most of the winter guard programs I know of already have their drill charts done by professional or hire their own personal drill designer for winter.

P.S.

If you need somoene to do Drill for your Winter Guard! Give me a PM or email at PitCaptionHead@hotmail.com

and i would be more then happy to be our guys drill desinger for winter.

GuarDiva04 · Post by **GuarDiva04** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 8:58 am

Thats a difficult situation. I know how it is to have a Band Director breathing down your neck 24/7. It's frustrating ESPECIALLY in your first year instructing! But what I'd say is to pick your song/theme/idea and sit down and listen to the music and brainstorm some ideas as far as drill and choreography go. If you're alone in this process (being the ONLY instructor) give yourself some time because it doesn't come easy to everyone. It's a good idea to "map out" your show too... like say from 17 seconds to 33 seconds I want sabres and dancers on the floor... or something like that. then once you've taken time to do that start writing out the drill... the first couple formations... your director can't expect an ENTIRE show from you ALREADY! I mean he can... but thats near impossible so show him that you at least have the beginning or the first half. If you're teaching a scholastic guard... you've got PLENTY of time to get things done... independent is a BIT different. What circuit are u with? And where are u teaching because I am an instructor as well and I'd be more than willing to help out with choreography if possible so let me know!! Good luck!

guardboi · Post by **guardboi** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 9:18 am

i acutually already wrote the show its just they are working on thier winter concert performance and they didn't do field but the girls i have are not up to par so in the first couple of months i was teaching basics so i can get the right technique down and my band director just compared me to mission viejo valencia and diamond bar... but how can i finish a show when they still can't toss i was so frustrated yesterday.... i got bitched out sorry for the bad wording by the band director saying that they were a little worried i am so ticked off gosh i just want to leave the program its not fair... and i would never put a guard program out there to lose... i want them to have fun and enjoy performing and do well thats my goal all the band director wants is to win win win........ btw we are in so cal so wgasc and its a beginner guard

Rich · Post by **Rich** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:07 pm

i know exactly how u feel. dont feel bad, like guardiva said just sit him down and explain whats going on and exactly why u are doing it.

i to am going through the process of re-training again and again and again.but had the unfortunate news yesterday that half my team if leaving the country during winter break. i was ina panic but then reassured my self that the first show DOESNOT have to be finished.

and when yer director starts comparing u to miraculous groups remind him that those girls have been spinning since they were 13/14 and at one time they to had to be trained.

hope everything goes well.

message me if u need anything.

-richard

Madame_Spooky · Post by **Madame_Spooky** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 3:43 pm

If it helps, my guard has not even heard the song yet. Some have had a sneak preview but it wouldn't be revealed until after break. Right now, we're touching up on basics and training a little more.

If it helps even more... every year I've been in a WG show, we've never had the whole show complete by the first show -- normally we have a little section that either is finished but looks horrible, or a section that just hasn't been touched yet.

Lots of guards start over break or start in January -- it's a little late, but it's worth the wait if you take advantage of the extra time after MB season.

~Jessi

JenKozy · Post by **JenKozy** » Thu Dec 09, 2004 4:53 pm

Don't take it to heart. Band directors can be very tempremental. I have the complete oppiste problem with my director. As our winter program is fed out of the fall Marching Band, and I have MANY band students in my winter program, I am not allowed to even start working with students until AFTER the last march... which is usually in the middle of Nov. So my show doesn't get writen until after that, because we have no idea what kind of turn out we will have. So I totally hear you about pain in the butt band directors.

My advise, ride it out as long as you can... keep open communication between yourself and your band director, and keep plugging away at the basics. Your show will not be complete unless your students have that foundation to fall back on. I have been an instructor for over 8 years now, and I will give you the honest truth, it gets easier, only if both parties allow it!

LMHSMetalGod · Post by **LMHSMetalGod** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 9:34 am

maybe u should have written the show

Rich · Post by **Rich** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 11:17 am

StraightWintrGuardDude wrote:maybe u should have written the show

as to whom are u directing this towards?

-rich

janets_b00b · Post by **janets_b00b** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 2:24 pm

Guardboi: next time your director comes by and asks you how the show is going, ask him how difficult is it to compose and orchestrate an original piece of music! Also, he should be a little more sympathetic to you. He hired you knowing this is your first year out, and if he expected a show to be complete by a specific date, he should have been organized enough to be the first to sit *you* down (or, preferably, at the initial interview) and show you the calendar and when his deadlines were. If he needed the show done by a specific date, he should have hired an instructor who could have met his ridiculous demand.

Rant off, but trust me, Guardboi, I was once where you are now dealing with the same band director. Welcome to your obligatory right of passage into instructor-dom!

Just remember, always set realistic expectations for yourself because no else will. If you can't meet your own expectations, the kids will see that right off and it only makes things uglier. Continue focusing on technique with your kids, and dont succumb to the temptation of sacrificing warmup to teach the show. That will only make things more difficult.

StraightWintrGuardDude: no offense, but the biggest queens I know today were the ones too busy labeling themselves "straight" through high school. Just a thought, no implication whatsoever.

BttrDrummerThanU · Post by **BttrDrummerThanU** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 8:42 pm

As a band director I think I can lend you a thought or two.

This is my third year at my school and my first year I was very impatient with the winter guard program. "Why is this taking so long?" "Why don't they have drill done?" "why does it look like crap?"

But when one of my students started teaching me how to spin I realized how hard this was. And if I was having a hard time doing it, how hard is it for these little JH girls to do it. What helped me was to have an open mind. I educated myself about guard. I observed as many rehearsals as I could and I still do. I learn something new everytime i watch my instructors do their thing. I am amazed. I couldn't what they do.

Basically what I'm trying to say is make sure you are communicating with your band director. If you're having problems, sit down and don't be afraid to ask for help. Tell him what your worries are and maybe he can offer advice. Even invite him to watch one of your rehearsals and maybe he can help out. I know he's busy, but if he wants a good product there must be some investment into it. As a band director he can help clean drill. I am able to do that sometimes with our guard. I don't know how to teach work or choreography....but I can teach students how to guide and how to get from A to B.

The last thing I will offer is this. Get help (as long as it's quality help). We are lucky enough to have students that left us (we're a JHS) that are now sophomores or freshman in high school and they KNOW how to spin. They can come back and tech the work. They can come in and pick out that kid that's not doing a parallel correctly, take them outside, fix it and bring them back in.

Maybe track down last years guard captain or something. Maybe she needs community service hours for college or something. Ask a buddy to come in.

What I'm trying to say is analyze your resources, then use what you can.

Hope I offered something to you.

p.s. I don't expect a show to be done. In my eyes a show is never done. There can always be improvement and the entire season is an evolution of the show. You may not have a finished product until champs....no worries.

World of Pageantry

guard show

guard show

thanks for the advice

My 2 Cents