To change, or not to change?

It’s the question that comes up every season: If a judge suggests you change something, do you change it?* The answer may not be as simple as yes or no – so I’ve compiled a few real world examples I’ve had and my general guidelines for when I’ll change work.

Drill changes:
A shift of a step here or there is not a big deal, but larger than that can be a real time-consuming process. I will always consider both, but rarely will I suggest large rewrites to the drill designer unless several judges suggest it.

Real world examples:
Shift: A judge suggested I shift some dancers further off the front sideline so more attention was drawn to them. I did it because it was easy, only impacted 4 people, and drew the attention to where I wanted it to be.

Rewrite: A judge earlier in the beginning of the season suggested I change drill entirely in the middle of our opening number because it just didn’t do anything for her. I thought about it, but couldn’t justify changing it to please one judge. We haven’t heard anything negative about that drill since.

Work changes:
As with drill, a tweak here and there is not a terribly huge deal. It’s when you get slammed with large portions of the show where the judge suggests that A) your unit is not handling what you have given them or B) the choreography simply does not work that you’ve got some decisions to make. At this point, I thought it would be helpful to give a simple timeline of when I will generally make changes versus when I will not.

I will change work:

• Once it is readable: This may take a week or so after it is taught. No point in taking away work that they haven’t had the chance to get a hang of.
• Early in the season: The first few weeks into the competitive season are ideal for major changes so the guard can get them cleaned for championships.

I will usually not make major changes to work:

• Within a week of Championships: At that point, we are simply watering down those few parts that have been troublesome all season. However, if I feel that A) a change will make the show better and B) the members can get the work to a certain level of clarity before the performance, I will do it. Who doesn’t like a challenge?

Real world examples:
#1: In our first day of competition, a judge wasn’t a fan of some work in our opener and wanted me to look at it. I did and decided it was too soon to change because it wasn’t even readable yet. After it was cleaned, we saw the same judge and they actually liked it!

#2: There’s a section of our 4th number that has been fuzzy all season because of the speed of the music & work. Yet I didn’t changed it. Why? Because there were other parts of the show I needed to worry about.

The decision to make changes (both small and large) is never made on one judge’s opinion. It’s all about careful consideration for the unit’s ability to accept small/large changes, the amount of time the change will cost you (that you could be spending on something else), and how important it is to your overall show.

* This post is based on the assumption that all of you take into consideration the thoughts of the judges even if you decide not to make changes.

Tapes: Isn’t it time to enter the 21st century?

Last season, my director and I were discussing a Cavalcade of Bands competition we were to attend. I was surprised (and excited!) when he told me they digitally record critiques.

No more cassette tapes? I don’t have to wait until after the staff listens to the other 5 tapes pre-judge’s meetings before hearing the guard tape? You mean I can put it on my iPhone and listen to it on my way to work, or at a practice, or any other place without a tape player handy?

BRING IT ON!

In an all-digital world, there’s no reason for competitive marching arts organizations to still be using cassette tapes. I can’t speak for everybody, but I haven’t owned a tape player in at least 10-15 years.* It seems to me that converting critiques to digital format has many advantages:

* Okay, that’s a lie. I just bought one 3 weeks ago so I can listen to the Finale version of our show since our director is not very technologically-advanced and can’t figure out how to export the file as an mp3 to e-mail to the staff.

1. The files are all on one storage unit of choice (USB flash drive, SD card, etc.) instead of 5-6 cassette tapes.
2. Saves $$$: Instead of using 5-6 tapes per band/per weekend, a band-provided flash drive can be reused each week. Granted, there are upfront costs to buying the digital recorders and storage, but if you’re saving 50-60 tapes per competition throughout the season for one or two seasons – you’ll save some money. Plus, 50-60 tapes per competition (upwards of 60 tapes per season/band) is not good for the environment!
3. There are at least two copies of the critique: I have a VERY bad history with tapes being eaten by cassette players (like when our final sound recording of band camp was eaten by what I thought was a reliable tap player!). With judges’ tapes, there are no back-ups! If recorded digitally, the organization (USSBA, Cavalcade, BOA, etc.) would have copies in case something happened to your recording.
4. Easier dissemination to staff & students: We ask our students to listen to judges’ tapes during the week after a competition. With one tape per caption, the kids need access to the tape (and the player) that only the director has. This results in several students not taking advantage of what judges have to say. If recorded digitally…
   • The files could be uploaded to a site like drop.io for the students & staff  to download, or sent via e-mail each week. Giving students the files means they’re more likely to listen to critiques on their own time – not when the director / the tape player is available.
   • Your marching organization of choice would have quick and easy access to the file in case you have a complaint about a judge. This isn’t a common occurrence (at least it hasn’t been with our program), but if needed, the organization would have an original recording.

All right, that’s all I’ve got. What are your thoughts on going digital? Has your circuit embraced it yet? let me know below…