WGI 2012 Fall FOCUS

focus the official news of wgi sport of the arts

fall 2012

PERFORMANCES

THAT TEACH

GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT

FOR THE NEW SEASON

MATRIX Ready to Turn Percussion Upside Down

BUILDING A GREAT SET COLOR GUARD’S BIG TV MOMENT

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focus

wgi

the official news of wgi sport of the arts

FALL 2012 Volume 26, Issue 3

Winter Guard International Ron Nankervis Executive Director Bart Woodley Director of Operations Aaron Jenkins Marketing & Communications Manager Published By: In Tune Partners, LLC Irwin Kornfeld CEO Will Edwards President Angelo Biasi Publisher Mac Randall Editor-in-Chief Jackie Jordan Creative Director Robin Garber Production Director Barbara Boughton Business Manager Contributing Writers: Michael Boo, Amber Beasley Day, Rick Mattingly, Michael Reed Photography: Adam Alonzo, Jolesch Photography, Christine Rivard, Dan Scafidi, Linda Unser, Sid Unser WGI FOCUS is an educational publication of WGI Sport of the Arts. Its purpose is to broaden communication within the family of color guards and percussion ensembles. FOCUS is published three times per year.

WGI FOCUS is a free publication with a circulation of 14,000 copies and 12,000 online viewers. All members of the WGI family may submit articles for consideration. WGI reserves the right to edit all submitted material.

If your address has changed, please notify the WGI office. Failure to do this could result in the loss of your WGI FOCUS subscription. We don’t want to lose touch with you!

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INSIDE 7 ENSEMBLE

Color guard enjoys a gleeful moment in the national spotlight ... VIP tickets make their online debut ... Spinfest!! hits the road again ... New Flashback DVDs are so ’90s ... A complete WGI event calendar for 2013 ... Fantasia’s veteran designer Michael Raiford profiled ... and much more!

14 CLOSE-UP

One of the most consistent performers in percussion, Matrix is looking to win its first medal since 2000 with a mix of competitiveness and love.

16 SPOTLIGHT

The WGI Board of Directors plans for the future of the marching arts.

20 IN PURSUIT OF LEARNING

For a growing number of WGI groups, preparation for a show doesn’t just mean rehearsal. It also means detailed study of a show’s subject matter— and maybe even a field trip or two.

25 READY, SET, GO!

Sets, props, and specially designed floors are common features in color guard and percussion performances today, but it wasn’t always that way.

Here’s a brief look at how set design has evolved over the decades.

28 CLINIC

As the indoor marching season nears, it’s a good idea to get your priorities straight. We consulted with color guard and percussion experts on how to budget your time, money, and energy for the coming year.

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30 SCHOLARSHIP

In her junior year of high school, Liane Friedberg met tragedy head-on. Luckily, her color guard family helped pull her through the pain.

For advertising information please contact Aaron Jenkins; phone: 937-247-5919; email: aaron@wgi.org WINTER GUARD INTERNATIONAL 2405 Crosspointe Drive Dayton, OH 45342 937-247-5919 office@wgi.org www.wgi.org

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The Flanagan High School guard is one of several groups that make research part of their performances.

34 WHAT’S YOUR WGIQ?

See if you can identify these snapshots from the early history of 13 WGI ensembles.

United Percussion

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NEWS FROM THE FLOOR AND MORE

WGI GOES TO GLEE September 20, 2012, was a very special date in the history of color guard, as the Sport of the Arts got national media exposure on the hit Fox television program Glee.

During the second episode of the show’s fourth season, 14 top WGI performers took on the role of the McKinley High School color guard for a special production number set to the Britney Spears song “Hold It Against Me.” As WGI Executive Director Ron Nankervis put it, “This is a unique opportunity for millions of people to see what our performers do best.”

The process that led to this milestone began in April, when Glee co-producer and choreographer Zach Woodlee attended the 2012 WGI Color Guard World Championships and gave the “Day After” master class. Impressed by what he saw, Woodlee contacted Nankervis in July to cast a color guard to be featured in an episode of the show. On August 6, the chosen performers, along with WGI Hall of Fame member Scott Chandler, reported to the Paramount Studios lot in Hollywood for two days of rehearsal and filming.

“Glee is character- and storyline-driven,” Chandler says, “so we were there to service that intention. My job Pioneer

VIP www.wgi.org

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Scott Chandler and Zach Woodlee (center) pose with guard members on the Glee set

became to provide Zach with options and to make sure the color guard choreography was within reach of the performers’ ability to be consistent throughout the long hours of filming. It was wonderful to see those things we might consider ‘simple’ get such incredible reactions on the set. The people at Glee were really nice to us, and so interested in this ‘new’ thing that prompted all kinds of wonderful adjectives throughout our time there. Hopefully, the future is bright for color guard in the professional world.”

GET THE VIP TREATMENT For fans who want the complete WGI World Championships experience, VIP ticket packages have long been the best bet. VIPs can choose the best seats for all sessions at all competition sites; they also receive a complimentary souvenir program and preferred parking. And this year, for the first time, you don’t have to call, fax, or mail in your request—you can buy VIP tickets online.

“The ability to purchase their packages 24/7 and select their own seats is such a great convenience for our VIPs,” says ticket sales manager Kathy Fairbanks. Visit wgi.showare.com to get more information and reserve your seats today!

NEW PERCUSSION VIDEOS COMING Indoor Percussion: TOP SECRETS is a new educational video series from WGI’s Percussion Education Division.

The videos will first be distributed online as individual downloadable modules, then combined on a series of DVDs. The first three modules are due out this fall. For further details, check in regularly on wgi.org.

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New Shoes Make Performing No Sweat

SPINFEST!!

TOURS AGAIN WGI’s successful Spinfest!! color guard education program has begun another exciting fall tour season. First stop: Canada, specifically the Centre Culturel Georges-Vanier in Montreal, Quebec, where clinician Michael Shapiro hosted a presentation on September 22. Shapiro’s DCI and WGI teaching experience is extensive, and includes Carolina Crown, the Cavaliers, Crossmen, Carroll High School, the Company, Crown Guard, Mayflower (U.K.), and many other organizations. “It was both amazing and inspiring to see an area so rooted in WGI’s history, still so committed to growing and pushing forward,” he said.

Next on the tour schedule is the Fort Lauderdale Spinfest!!, which takes place at Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida, on December 2. Clinicians include Mykail Costner, designer and choreographer for fi ve-time IW champion Fantasia (among many others), and Michael Raiford, profiled on page 12 of this magazine. For more details, contact Michael Shapiro (here and Dean Broadbent at dnbroad@me.com. above, third from top left) Like their predecessors, the fall gives a clinic in Montreal .

2012 Spinfest!! on Tour events combine state-of-the-art classes in dance, equipment, and design by acclaimed winter guard clinicians with a definitive presentation of adjudication philosophy—the same information given WGI judges in their training for the 2013 season. All sessions are geared especially toward the A and Open classes but are appropriate for any instructor or judge.

At press time, further Spinfest!! on Tour dates were in the works; visit wgi.org to stay up to date.

For many performers in the marching arts, the Ever-Dri glove has been a regular show-saver. Now Director’s Showcase International is introducing the Ever-Jazz shoe, which takes the same fast-drying, moisture-wicking material found in the Ever-Dri glove and applies it to footwear. Available in tan or black, the form-hugging shoe fits like … well, a glove, and can be used in both indoor and outdoor settings. Its split sole is sewn on to the shoe for greater durability, allowing wearers to achieve the “perfect toe point.”

Best of all, the Ever-Jazz shoes are washable, so you can keep them looking like new. Go to everjazzshoe .com or dshowcase.com for more information.

Practice Pad Has the Touch of Gold

Offworld Percussion’s Invader practice pads are designed to emulate the feel of a snare drum as closely as possible. But the new Invader V3 Gold pads combine that traditional sound and response with a strikingly space-age yellow-and-black color scheme.

Like all the Invaders, the V3 Gold can fit onto a 14inch snare or snare stand. It features a DarkMatter synthetic playing surface that allows for a more realistic stick rebound and stays articulate at all dynamics; a 360-degree rim element capable of producing authentic rimshot effects; and a non-slip underside that doubles as a rimless playing surface. One thing (besides color) that sets the V3 Gold apart from its relatives is that it’s only available from Lone Star Percussion.

For more details, visit lonestarpercussion.com.

NEW FLASHBACK DVDS REVISIT THE MID-’90S The WGI Flashback DVD series—which offers color guard finals performances dating back to 1979 and percussion finals performances dating back to 1993—keeps on expanding. Several new volumes have just been added to the collection: 1994 Independent A, Scholastic A, and Independent Open; 1995 Independent A, Scholastic A, Independent Open, and Scholastic Open; and 1996 Independent A, Scholastic A, Independent Open, and Scholastic Open. These discs feature early performances from some legendary WGI groups, including St. Ann’s, Chimeras, Fantasia, and Onyx. Go to wgi.org/store to find out more about the individual discs and purchase your own copies—and make sure to check the site often as more volumes in the series continue to become available.

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WGI MOURNS THE PASSING OF FRED J. MILLER Fred J. Miller, a master showman of the pageantry arts and an integral force in the indoor color guard and percussion activity, passed away on August 3, 2012, at the age of 80.

A lifetime resident of the Dayton, Ohio area, Mr. Miller was the director of bands at FairFred J. Miller born High School from 1957 to with Marlene, his 1968, eventually serving as music wife of 53 years supervisor for the district. He also was a founding member of the United States Twirling Association and founded the Miller’s Blackhawks Twirling Corps, establishing a record unequaled in the twirling world by winning national championships every year from 1956 through 1968.

The next evolution of Miller’s Blackhawks was to enter the color guard world, becoming one of the most impressive groups of the ’80s and ’90s. The guard earned a silver medal in only its second appearance at the WGI World Championships in the newly created A class in 1980. This was followed by a move into the highest class of competition, where the guard received bronze medals in 1985, 1986, and 1989 and a silver medal in 1987 for its memorable “Colors” show.

Mr. Miller was crucial to the development of a young Winter Guard International in the early ’80s. He served as WGI’s treasurer for many years, even personally guaranteeing financial solvency when times were lean for the new organization. He was also president and chief executive officer of Fred J. Miller, Inc., a family-owned company established by Fred and his wife Marlene that was WGI’s first sponsor.

It was Mr. Miller’s influence in his home city—particularly with his alma mater, the University of Dayton—that opened the doors for WGI’s move to Dayton. His legacy will forever be entwined with the University of Dayton Arena, home to the WGI World Championships for the past 27 years.

Fred J. Miller was inducted into the WGI Hall of Fame in 1995, in honor of his role in the development of the internationally recognized organization WGI had become because of his efforts.

“It’s impossible to picture a world without Fred J. Miller in it,” said WGI Executive Director Ron Nankervis.

“There are no words that can adequately express how sad a day this is to lose someone who has touched countless lives. He will be missed at every gathering of twirling, marching band, drum corps, and especially indoor color guard and percussion enthusiasts forever.”

Thank You to Our Partners and Sponsors Presenting Sponsors

Corporate Partners

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A FEW WORDS WITH MICHAEL RAIFORD Although color guard enthusiasts probably know him best for his decade-long tenure with fi ve-time IW champion Fantasia (1998-2008), Michael Raiford has been choreographing, staging, and designing WGI, DCI, and BOA programs for more than 30 years. For 20 years running, he’s coached or otherwise been associated with a BOA regional or national finalist. Based in Austin, Texas, Raiford also has a parallel career in scenic and costume design for theatre, opera, and dance.

How he first got involved in the activity: Way back in ancient times, there was no prerecorded music with winter guard. The small drum corps I marched with in Florida, the Miami Silhouettes, was taking its guard to nationals (that would be American Legion Nationals!). The instructors wanted drum accompaniment for the show, so a friend of Fantasia 2008 mine and I wrote a snare and bass drum duet. (I was on snare, of course.) That’s the only time I ever “marched.” I just wanted to spin, and boys weren’t in color guard. So the best I could do was play the drums, learn to spin, bide my time, and wait!

The changing face of WGI: Luckily for us all, drums have their own time in WGI now!

The appeal of the activity is quite different for me now.

WGI now encompasses all my loves from dance to prop manipulation to show programming. It is my “extreme art”!

Foremost in his mind when planning a design: Does the concept present an audio/visual opportunity? That is key. If the concept does not invite enough response from you or the creative team, then you need to keep looking. A clear vision, no matter how many turns it may take, is very important. The elements of design never change, only the context does. It’s all about creating a “moment.” I think holistically about a show. It’s hard to turn off any response. That’s a good thing most of the time, but probably annoying at least sometimes!

What he enjoys most about the creation process: I’m very excited by the research and discovery phase. Just listing all the ideas that might relate to one show is a high for me. I love brainstorming with collaborators. My next favorite part is developing the product and detailing it after the initial draft is laid in. Being able to get a product to 12 WGI FOCUS

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Fantasia 2000

Fantasia 2007

a point where you are truly just having “performance rehearsals” is an amazingly fun time!

On taking the role of instructor: I love stimulating new talent. I think it is one of the most blessed roles to be in. I think how you pay back the world for your gifts is to pass them on. I like to think that the people I have affected have taken that out into the world.

His proudest achievement: This sounds like the “pageant answer,” but it is sincere: I am most proud that I have helped so many people find their joy in performing and designing. The moment I took most personal joy in was being a part of the creation of 2008 Fantasia. It was a wonderful culmination of 10 years of investment in a performance culture. The talent in the room—performers and creators—and the respect it earned allowed Karl [Lowe] to push Fantasia to another plane. It was a moment where the product transcended its materials. And those are rare moments. www.wgi.org

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Close-Up

Teaching

Comes First for

Matrix

A Regular PIW Finalist Stokes the Competitive Spirit Through Education

By Rick Mattingly

M

atrix director Rob Ferguson describes his World Class ensemble as teaching-driven. “I want to be competitive, and that drives me for sure,” he adds. “But knowing that 85 percent of my members are going to teach or are teaching already, we feel a responsibility to help them learn how to teach, and to learn it faster than we did. My ensemble is 99.9 percent college-age students. I think we have a responsibility to stay a youthbased organization.”

The seeds for Matrix were planted in 1999 when the director of the Collage independent winter guard from Akron, Ohio, contacted Ferguson about adding a drumline to that group. With colleagues Brian Bennett and Ron Graham, Ferguson started Collage’s indoor drumline and made it to the Independent Open finals that year. But everyone agreed that it was too difficult to run two groups under the Collage umbrella, so Ferguson and his staff broke away in 2000 and started Matrix.

In its first season, Matrix won bronze in Open class; it made finals the next two years.

The group shut down in 2003 to restructure, returned in 2004 as a World class group, and has been to finals every year since 2005, coming in fifth in 2007 and consistently placing in the top 10. Today, Ferguson leads the group along with visual coordinator Kevin Stahl.

Matrix is closely associated with DCI’s Glassmen, sharing sponsors and equipment. “It’s mostly the same

staff and the same approach to technique,” Ferguson says. “So it’s very comfortable for those who play in both groups. There are rumors that to be in Matrix you have to have marched with the Glassmen, but that’s not true.”

Asked to compare Matrix to his WGI competitors, Ferguson says that in many respects they’re the same.

“We’re all out there trying to give our kids a good experience,” he says, “and we’re all trying to find a place to rehearse and have enough money to keep our truck going down the road. So the ‘band of brothers’ part of it is that we’re all struggling to make it all work and succeed competitively at the same time.

“Matrix does a fair amount electronically,” Ferguson continues. “I’ve always been into that, and our electronics guy, Evan Brown, is great. We’ve had some outstanding marimba sections; I think people expect that from us.”

For all his emphasis on teaching, how badly does Ferguson want to win another medal? “Very,” he says. “We are driven to be a force in the World Class activity. I say that with unbelievable respect for my competitors.

“If you’re great,” he adds, “the competitive thing will take care of itself. And when we’re in love with what we’re doing, we’re really competitive. We loved our show last year [the wooden-instrument showcase ‘Wood You?’] more than we ever have, and we were the most competitive we’ve ever been.”

“If you’re great, the competitive thing will take care of itself.”

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Innovative Percussion would like to thank the following groups for all of their support and congratulate them on another incredible season!

Independent World Music City Mystique - Silver Medalist Rhythm X Matrix NorthCoast Academy Gateway Indoor Tates Creek Indoor Ensemble Palmetto Percussion Vanguard Winter Percussion Tyler Junior College Scholastic Open Victor J Andrew HS - Silver Medalist Dorman HS Pace HS Green Hope HS Greenfield-Central HS New Philadelphia HS Independent Open George Mason University - Gold Medalist MN Brass Indoor - Silver Medalist Dark Sky Percussion Capital City Percussion River City Rhythm Legends Freedom Percussion

Scholastic World Ayala HS - Bronze Medalist Center Grove HS Father Ryan HS Forsyth Central HS Walled Lake HS Centerville HS Rowland HS Mt Juliet HS Milton HS Fishers HS Scholastic Concert World Woodbridge HS - Gold Medalist Ayala HS - Silver Medalist Rowland HS Indepedent A Chattanooga Independent - Silver Medalist eNVision Notre Dame Indoor Perc Ens Double Stop Indoor Percussion Frequency Ancient City Ensemble Revelation Three Rivers Indoor Percussion Groove Pursuit

Scholastic A Lebanon HS - Gold Medalist Freedom HS - Bronze Medalist Plainfield HS Foothills HS Kickapoo HS St Genevieve Elementary School Francis Howell North HS Clinton HS Arnold HS Findlay HS Athens Drive HS Decatur Central HS Walled Lake Central HS Nease HS Victor HS Tate HS Clinton Massie HS Hillsboro HS Powhatan HS Bellbrook HS Valhalla HS Olentangy Liberty HS Hagerstown HS Warren East High and Middle School Lebanon HS

Be Innovative...

Visit www.innovativepercussion.com for Media from the WGI Finals

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Spotlight

Thanks to the Board of Directors, A class groups like Lexis now have a greater say in WGI decisions.

Where the Big

Decisions Are Made

WGI’s Board of Directors Has Exciting Plans for the Future

By Aaron Jenkins

‘‘I

have now been on the WGI Board of Directors for roughly 22 years,” says Michael Gaines. “During that time I’ve witnessed the beginning of a successful percussion division, the hiring of a new CEO, the move of our offices to Dayton, the hiring of our first marketing person, the corporate restructure to create the Advisory Boards, the hiring of a color guard and percussion coordinator, the separation of the guard and percussion championship weekends, and so much more. Being a part of those changes—and how they’ve helped WGI reach thousands of young people and touch their lives in such a positive way— is something that the entire board takes very seriously.”

The Board of Directors is a group of 16 accomplished administrators, designers, and instructors who are elected to their positions each May at the WGI Advisory Board meetings after candidates explain why they wish to help run the organization. Their first goal is to ensure that WGI

expanded the makeup of the Advisory Board to give A and Open class members a louder voice in the color guard division’s decision-making.

Each summer the board gathers to assess all aspects of the previous season and to create and amend yearly organizational budgets. Its second meeting of the year, in November, includes analyzing yearly audit reports, along with setting direction and planning improvements for the upcoming season. While these are certainly not glamorous duties, they are crucial to ensure the organization’s longevity.

Finding appropriate locations for the WGI World Championships is one of the board’s most massive undertakings, both logistically and financially. Although Dayton has become a perfect environment for this event, the board has been researching new host cities with hopes to rotate the World Championships sometime in the future.

Creating new educational programs, updating systems, and expanding the outreach of the organization are what really make the board excited, and developing new technology to do that is a main priority in its organizational philosophy. That’s the reason why projects like the CompetitionSuite tabulation system and WGI’s app for iPhone and Android have been expedited. The WGI Fan Network has sparked the rediscovery of archived performances, and viewing the World Championships via live webcast has allowed a broader range of people to experience the wonder of the indoor marching arts, all as a result of the board’s wishes.

Serving on the WGI Board of Directors is not a hobby.

It’s a mission—to find ways to better support and create opportunities for the marching arts community.

”Helping WGI reach thousands of young people is something the entire board takes very seriously.” provides a venue for young people to achieve the extraordinary through performance and competition.

“A strength needed to be a good board member is that you have experience running your ensemble from the business side,” Board President Ed Devlin explains. “The board deals with the business of the organization, while the Advisory Boards deal with the artistic and competitive rules of the activities.” Recently the Board of Directors 16 WGI FOCUS

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^ Take a lesson from Carol Abohatab, choreographer for the Santa Clara Vanguard Winter Guard and modern dance teacher for more than twenty years. < Scan this for a full list of WGI Educational DVDs

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f o t i u s r In Pu

G N I N LEAR

CE THE INNOCEN 1 WGI FOCUS

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PROJECT

Flanagan researched the life stories of wrongly accused prisoners.

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POMPEII

Marian Catholic saw the results of an ancient volcanic eruption with their own eyes.

There’s a new trend in the indoor marching world:

shows that teach— and add new layers to the experience of performers.

BY MICHAEL REED

SOUTH AFRICA Spirit of America studied another country’s culture.

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What do South African drumming, the volcanic burial of Pompeii, and a Nazi concentration camp have in common? They were all the subjects of programs seen on the WGI competition floor this past spring—programs for which the preparation included extensive instruction in the subject matter. While many successful shows may be designed around topics based on pop culture, love, color, or (in some cases) no discernible theme at all, a number of groups have chosen productions that can have an extra educational dimension for the performers.

As everyone in the indoor marching world knows, it’s tough enough to put together a program with enough “meat” to be successful, and tougher still to get that program just right through hours of rehearsal and performance.

So why would the leaders of an ensemble take on the added responsibility—and expense— of going beyond the performance aspect and make extra activities or even field trips an integral part of the rehearsal process for their membership?

The answer is twofold. First, for many directors, it’s important that the members’ experience be more than just memorizing six and a half minutes of movement, stickings, or equipment angles. They want the performers to take knowledge with them that will help them mature as individuals. Second, instructors have discovered that the extra planning and time spent on various educational activities can pay huge dividends in the performance.

Preparation for these “teaching shows” begins during the initial design phase when the show theme is chosen. Common resources that designers can draw from include the Internet, libraries, museums, and individual experts in the given subjects. For example, Jeffery Dale and Karen Prince of First Flight put a great deal of preparation into their 2012 program “The List,” inspired by the Steven Spielberg film Schindler’s List, which is based on real events during the Holocaust. “We did a lot of front-end research to ensure our WGI WGIFOCUS FOCUS21 2

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UST THE HOLOCA

program was respectful to the First Flight went back to subject matter while also beexplore a dark time. ing true to the story,” Dale says.

“We utilized numerous resources including books, movies, documentaries, art, information regarding memorials, as well as endless websites. We also had the opportunity to discuss ideas with a representative from the Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Va.” The approach a director takes when developing this kind of program may depend on a number of factors: age of the group, amount of time available, and budgetary considerations. Activities may range from viewing a video about the show topic to reading a book on the subject and writing a report about it, theatrical training, or ensemble outings. The cast of First Flight portrayed individual survivors of the Holocaust, with each member researching their gold medal-winning “Project Innocence,” about a lea particular survivor and even having that person’s con- gal campaign developed to help free imprisoned people centration camp number written on his or her arm during who did not commit the crimes they were charged with, the performance. PIA gold medalist Spirit of America re- “the kids had to find someone, learn their story, and becently took the field trip idea to a new level, traveling all come that person within the show. Having the kids actually the way to South Africa and allowing themselves to be im- find people who were in jail but wrongfully convicted was mersed firsthand in the cultural influences that inspired very powerful. I think that added a genuine quality to the their 2012 show “Spirit Fusion.” students’ performance that would not normally have been Scholastic groups may engage in interdisciplinary ac- there.” In addition, while the guard was in Dayton, they had tivities with other departments within the school. Spirit of the opportunity to meet a person who had been freed due America, while not a scholastic ensemble, has scholas- to the efforts of this project. tic-age members—including a sizable home-school conAnother group that found a creative way to give its protingent—and has integrated activities into gram extra depth was Marian Catholic its students’ curricula. According to the High School. Although the school is in the “THE STUDENTS group’s publicist Kate Shannon, “In supsouthern suburbs of Chicago, its guard GET A SENSE OF port of the trip to South Africa, the homefound a way to add a field trip to a comschool parents and teachers agreed to petition weekend several hundred miles WHAT IT MEANS teach South African history with a focus from home. According to James Cook and TO BECOME THE on apartheid. We required three papers Andy Toth, “On the weekend of the CincinCONCEPT THE from the students addressing their expenati Regional, we took the students to visit riences, a self-exam on what they would a traveling exhibit of Pompeii artifacts, inSHOW IS ABOUT.” have done if [they lived under that syscluding some of the body casts. Students tem], interviews and discussions with and staff were moved to tears as we came survivors of apartheid, and a comparison of U.S. and South into a room that had many of the casts in it. After our visit, African progress toward freedom for all.”

I asked the performers to try to reenact what that expeOne group that has had huge success incorporating ed- rience must have felt like, and try to become the people ucational activities into its shows is two-time SW cham- of Pompeii. Once we tapped into this level of realism, our pion Flanagan High School. Director Dean Broadbent has show [‘Pompeii Awakened’] became real.” used numerous methods to broaden the understanding of The next time you’re watching a WGI show with a few his performers over the years. For example, in their 2010 thousand of your closest friends and the program seems “Atlas Shrugged” show, the guard members were required to leap off the floor like a 3D movie, consider that besides to research author Ayn Rand, who wrote the book on which the excellence in execution, the characterizations and the show was based. For the 2009 “Hopelandic” pro- emotion emanating from the performers may have been gram, they wrote letters to the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, enhanced by some of these valuable “extracurricular” acwhose music was used for the soundtrack. And in 2008, tivities. Broadbent sums up the advantage of going the exwhen their show focused on the community mail art proj- tra mile when he observes that “the students get a sense ect PostSecret, the members had the thrill of hearing its of what it means to become the concept the show is about. founder Frank Warren speak.

They have a deep understanding that goes beyond just sayPerhaps Flanagan’s most ing your show is about something. They become it.” impactful educational activity took place this past April.

Broadbent explains that for 22 WGI FOCUS

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The Future in Marching Percussion

A Legendary Drumline Turns To Tama!

Tama Marching Percussion is honored to have become the drum-of-choice for the legendary UCLA Bruins.

Known by many for their nationally televised Rose Bowl appearances throughout the years, "The Solid Gold Sound" also boasts a musical reputation that surpasses genre, having appeared live and in the studio with numerous major-name rock and pop artists.

UCLA Bruin Marching Band photos from the OSU vs. UCLA football game 9/22/12. Copyright Don Liebig/UCLA Photography

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Official Tama Drums USA

@tama_USA

Official Tama Drums

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Y D A E R

James Logan HS 2007

!

GO

Eye-catching sets, unusual props, and colorful floors have graced many a WGI performance over the decades, and their looks keep changing.

BY MICHAEL BOO United Percussion 2012

At WGI’s first World Championship in 1978, guards simply took to the floor with their rifles, sabres, and fl ags, and at the end of their performance, they walked off without having to carry as much as a tarp.

Things have changed a bit in three-and-a-half decades. Now it’s common for indoor marching programs to feature extra visual elements behind, around, or beneath the performers—and sometimes all three.

Still, most performances you see on the circuit today don’t feature sets as elaborate as those of years past. Dale Powers, who has run WGI’s color guard division for the past 11 years and founded the world champion Emerald Marquis, pinpoints 1982—the year Skylarks brought out a large radio—as the beginning of a major advance in set design. Sets got much bigger in the 1980s, mainly because money was more available. But even the smaller sets of this period could be amazingly complicated, such as Skylarks’ 1984 catapult that rocketed fl ags into members’ hands.

State Street Review 1988

Alliance of Miami 1988

Northmont HS 1997

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“In the 1980s,” says Shirlee Whitcomb, a co-founder of WGI and its current director of color guard development, “there was a definite move for guards to create hugely entertaining theatrical stage shows. Later, financial concerns brought on by traveling, coupled with a programming shift that put more focus on the body and content of equipment, resulted in sets becoming less dramatic.

A push away from ‘presentational equipment moments’ (when members appeared from behind fl ats to perform an equipment phrase) propelled designers Lawrence Central HS 2012 to again employ a greater use of motion in their staging.”

Something else happened, too: Bishop Kearney’s use of the floor as a giant paint canvas in 1996 made a fl at surface as integral to programs as any large vertical construction.

Over the past decade, developments in the digital printing of floors have resulted in far fewer large sets.

“Today, floors can tell a huge part of the story and serve to spotlight many features,” Whitcomb says. “Floors can bring dimension to the stage, recreate a famous photo, painting, or scene…and while costly, they’re easier to transport than large sets that have to be assembled in three minutes.”

Skylarks 1982 Guards have also found ways to create great effects with simple props, use such as Fantasia’s employment of Championships. “With limited fi“It’s better to ing mattresses in 2002 and James Lonancial resources,” he says, “a lot th le p one sim gan’s use of boxes to build the Great of guards are concerned more with d e c that’s produ tie Wall of China in 2007. how best to spend the money they’ve n a c t a Color guards aren’t the only groups got, whether it’s for costumes, silks, th — well to create sets; percussion ensembles props, or sets. Space is now organized n a r e togeth do it as well. Chad Moore, director and differently, with movement of smaller n a th program coordinator for United Persets creating a less static look. It’s entire show—uce d o r p cussion, says that, considering all the better to use one simple thing that’s r e to ov equipment that has to be transported produced well—that can tie together .” g in someth to a show, it’s important for the crean entire show—than to over-produce ative forces behind drum lines to ask something.” themselves, “Will this enhance the Vanderkolff suggests that program? Do we have the budget? And can it all groups can economically asfit on a truck?” He adds, “If all those things are a semble a floor from scraps ‘go,’ then I think we’re game!” returned to billboard comWhen designing a set, the thematic concept panies. Some are already dictates everything. Moore states, “The earlier doing this, which is why fans you have the set, the more time you have to dehave recently noticed billvelop its use. If a line is to have multiple sets, they board designs on the backs should start with a single prototype and tweak it of floors being folded up afuntil they’ve got a winner before building the rest. ter a performance.

And it’s always helpful to have a friend, parent, or “You always have to take Bishop Kearney HS 1996 staff member who is good with carpentry.” into account the amount of Becca Sullens, designer for a number of guards and time it takes to set up,” Sullens says. “And when you decide currently with Lawrence Central, adds a note of caution: to have something that’s the centerpiece to your design, you “Even if you have the means to have parents build props have to figure out how to have a relationship with it for the for you, I would always consult a professional before ever entire show, not just one cool moment. Make sure it’s worth using them.” The reason? Under-engineered sets can be the effort, because it will take everything you’ve got.” dangerous. (Sullens once demonstrated to her parent Sets, floors, and props can help convey the theme of a builders how easy it was to destroy a prototype set design.) show, or they can be just a random background to set the Jon Vanderkolff, who has worked with several WGI tone for a more abstract production. Either way, Vanderguards and the stage production of Blast!, points out that kolff says all designers must consider these essential some guards no longer bring their own tarp due to WGI questions: “At the end of the day, does it look fresh, and is setting down a beige floor at regionals and the World it something that helps your ensemble stand out?”

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Clinic

Budgeting Time and Energy for a New

Year

For Performers with Many Obligations, Setting Priorities Is Key

By Amber Beasley Day

A

Onyx

s many indoor marching groups begin the process of putting their shows together for winter competition, many members face the challenge of setting priorities for the stressful season ahead. After all, there’s a lot more to deal with in life than just performances and rehearsals.

“Most of our performers are in school or have full-time jobs, or both,” says Onyx director Michael Lentz. “While it’s tough for them to balance everything they have to do and the things they want to do, they manage to do it. It’s easy to spot the high achievers and those who squeeze every opportunity out of life.”

Some members even adjust their ways of life outside of performing and rehearsing to work around their marching schedules. “I make sure that I don’t schedule work during all my free time,” says Steve Skibiszewski, front ensemble captain and member of United Percussion in Camden County, N.J., since 2009. “I usually work at night so I can leave time to practice and do homework during the day.”

Although scholastic group members generally don’t have far to travel for rehearsals, the situation can be quite different for independent performers. “Our performers travel to Dayton each weekend from Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and all over Ohio,” Lentz says. “Additionally, we have performers from California, Virginia, Florida, Oregon, and Japan who relocate to the area for the winter months so they can participate. It takes passion and

dedication to make the trip every week, and that level of commitment is very rewarding for the organization.”

Making it to rehearsal every week may require you to get creative for logistical and/or financial reasons. “Most of our members get to us via car pool, and the membership is excellent with coordinating rides with each other,” says Chad Moore, United Percussion’s director and program coordinator. “Crews consistently carpool from New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.”

Besides the demands of traveling, members also have to find room on their calendars for at-home practice time.

“Through years of experience, I’ve found that putting school first is a great way to approach the season,” says Brandon Isham, battery captain and member of United Percussion since 2009. “By taking care of assignments and studying well in advance, I’m much less stressed and able to focus at a much higher level while practicing during the week and attending rehearsals during the weekend.”

Above everything else, performers need to remember the key ingredient to performing successfully in this sport: taking care of your body. “Achieving physical fitness and becoming mentally strong is a big part of what we do,” Lentz says. “Onyx will rehearse a maximum of 12 hours in a single day and that requires appropriate diet, adequate rest, and physical conditioning to avoid injury and produce results.”

“Through years of experience, I’ve found that putting school first is

a great way to approach the season.”

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10/1/12 2:22 PM

BLUESTARS

People always ask what you did to get that tan.

We know it’s hard to explain.

Maybe it’s better that way...

W W W . Q U A N T U M M A R C H I N G . C O M

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Scholarship

The

March Toward Recovery Color Guard “Second Family” Helps Performer Cope With Devastating Loss

By Liane Friedberg Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, Texas

T

rying to take the easy way out, I signed up for color guard because my friend said I would get a PE credit for it. Little did I know it would become such a big part of my life. All through high school, I heard how WGI is the most amazing experience, but I never thought I would have the opportunity to continue guard in college.

Being in guard has given me a new family I could have never imagined, and that’s been especially important since I lost two very close people in my own family.

Junior year, my second year in guard, would be a year I will never forget. A month before band camp started, my mom passed away. She was my rock and someone that I could always go to, and one day she was gone. As I went to band camp, all my friends in guard knew what had happened. They had my back and cared about me, but at the time it wasn’t enough. My brother, Andrew, was the only person I wanted to be with.

Two months later, just when I thought things were looking up for me, my brother passed away. At this point I felt like

my life was falling apart. But I knew my friends in guard would be there for me. If I wanted to talk, they would listen. If I needed to cry, I had a shoulder. If I just needed to sit, I had a friend there next to me.

As fall semester came and went and we were practicing for winter guard, I realized something: I was happy when I performed. I had put all my sadness and anger into performing as an outlet. This was amazing. I hadn’t

“I hadn’t felt like myself for so long, and when I performed, it felt right.”

felt like myself for so long, and when I performed, it felt right. I became close with all my friends in guard and they became my second family.

After graduating from Elkins High School, I didn’t want to lose that family. I decided that I wanted to join the guard at Midwestern State University and go further in the guard world. MSU gave me the chance of a lifetime— to perform at WGI. That experience was the best feeling ever. To this day, when I perform I put all my energy and emotions into my perforTHE WGI SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM mance. Guard has given me something that I would never have thought I would find, and Since its inception, the WGI Scholarship Program has provided that was me. Guard has made me who I am over $400,000 to young people who participate in color guard and today, a strong, independent young lady. percussion activities. The money for these scholarships comes from And although I have lost two very important the 50/50 raffle at the World Championships and individual donations. people in my life, I am still here, going to If you are interested in donating to the WGI Scholarship Fund, you can college, and I have guard to thank for that. do so online or send your donation to WGI Scholarship Donation, 2405 Crosspointe Drive, Dayton, OH 45342. For more information about the WGI Scholarship Program, visit wgi.org/about/scholarship.php.

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Liane Friedberg is one of 15 performers who received WGI Scholarships in 2012. www.wgi.org

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©2012 Avedis Zildjian Company

THAT CYMBAL CRASH WAS

PERFECT. PERFECT. A FULL MEASURE EARLY BUT

Music City Mystique

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Percussive Arts Society awards over $30,000 in scholarships and grants every year.

Become a member of PAS. pas.org

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What’s Your

WGiQ?

All the groups pictured here are in World class today, but these shots were taken before that happened. Who’s who? Go to wgi.org/wgiq.

C 2000

A 2001 B 2000

D 1996

2001 H

E 2000

I 1995

1996 F K 2003 2002 G

J 2000

1998 M

L 1999 A B C D E F G 34 WGI FOCUS

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H I J K L M

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9/28/12 3:58 PM

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS You’ll be on your feet... ...But you still need a seat!

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