Kurtzweil Designs Articles

In the last installment of this series, we discussed basic design elements with regard to staging and spacing as well as common demands placed on the performers. In this edition we will cover various techniques for dictating the viewer’s focus to various parts of the stage.

Now that we are fairly comfortable with the basic nuts and bolts of getting your performers onto and moving on the field, it is important to become aware of your audience and specifically, where you want them looking. There are many instances when you will want to call special attention to a specific area of the stage. It may be a specific section of the band proper has important melodic content, a musical or visual soloist, percussion, wind section or guard feature or a myriad of other reasons. Designing into your drill design a specific focal point makes your design appear more systematic, logical and easier to view. If you are writing for a competitive ensemble, it will also directly impact scoring from the standpoints continuity and general effect. Below are a few examples of common focus building techniques. Though these techniques can be used effectively alone, the impact generated from them is enhanced by utilizing two or more simultaneously.

1. Framing
   Creating a focal point by outlining an important feature or section is a highly common technique used by most drill designers. Page 12-13 is a good example of framing. The clarinets, saxophones and trumpets wrap the flute circle and pull around it as the circle moves back field.
2. Velocity
   Using different velocities or foot tempos is another method to call out a particular section of drill. Because the human eye will first pick up the fastest moving objects in its field of vision, the most effective use will be to make your featured section move faster than the lesser important elements around it. However, other common methods include moving an element in half-time or having that element remain static (“parked”) while other elements move around it.
3. Density
   Like the fasted moving object, the eye will also gravitate toward the most dense object(s) on the stage. Because of this, place a feature section into a solid or mass form while the remainder of the band proper is in anything but solid.
4. Color Guard
   Perhaps the most obvious method of drawing attention to a particular part of the stage is to stage color guard inside or framing that space.

Before we begin to discuss the drill design specific to this project, we first want to establish common compositional techniques used by all drill designers. These techniques are used individually and often in conjunction with others.

1. Linear – straight line patterns either in verticals, laterals or diagonals.
2. Curvilinear – Curvilinear patterns are combinations of arcs (parts of circles) or curves (parts of ovals).
3. Single Line Manipulation – Single Line drill puts elements into a single line that is flexed and pulled to create patterns. The Cadets are best known for using this single line drill for their trademark “whiplash” movements.
4. Follow the Leader – pulling elements around an established form from a single dot.
5. Arcs – Using parts of circles.
6. Mass form (blob) – pulling elements into a solid form without establishing any linear connection.
7. Solid Form – Pulling elements into tight vertical and lateral lines. Can be in many shapes but the most common are blocks and wedges.
8. Diffused / Random staging. Similar to mass form but spacing between elements in much greater. Also known as scatter drill, a diffused set establishes no recognizable patterns or shapes.

Basic Staging

When writing for a band, the visual elements you offer are important, but don’t forget that marching band is first a musical activity and that the sections of the ensemble should be staged in such a way as to give the most visual impact without impeding the musical presentation.

The Power Zone – The area of the field between the 35 yard lines and from the front sideline to the front hash is commonly referred to as the Power Zone. A drill designer will place his strongest voices (brass) within this space to get the most volume impact from a particular moment in the show. In many cases, the drill designer for a small ensemble will keep the entire group in this space for the duration of the show.

The Winds

• In general, try to keep like voiced instruments and similar musical parts together. This keeps the musical ensemble tighter and also presents a cleaner line for the eye to view forms.
• Staging winds for the marching band is usually the opposite of the way a concert band is set up. Unless the woodwinds are directly featured musically, I prefer them to be staged behind the brass. As they project less than the other brass instruments, I also like to keep the basses more toward the front of the ensemble when possible. This keeps the pyramid of sound more intact.

The Percussion Battery – As we all know, the drum line works as the metric pulse that holds the marching ensemble together. It is important that the staging demands placed on a drum line match well with the strength and maturity of their playing. A strong drum line that has played together for some time can handle many high level visual demands placed on them and manage to drive the show well from any where on the field. Younger, less experienced drum lines need to be handled with more care to ensure good ensemble not only with in the line but for the band as a whole. Below are a few simple suggestions to keep in mind when writing for a young drum line.

• Keep the battery together at all times. Young drum lines often rely greatly on the few strong players within the section to hold things together. Along these same lines, try to
  • Establish your center and end snare drummers and keep them in the same order whenever possible. Many drum sections are set up with their strongest players in these positions to keep them set. Also, many drum lines are taught to watch or listen in to the center snare.
  • Bass drum lines may be inverted but never change their order. Bass drum parts are usually written to walk up and down the section. Changing their order can cause too many ensemble problems with in the line.
• Though you need no longer write basic “elevator” drill where the drum line simply marches up and down the 50 yard line, do try to keep the battery staged between the 30s and near the back of the ensemble when ever possible. This helps lesson the chance of side to side phasing within the ensemble and also makes the wind sections feel more comfortable hearing a strong rhythmic pulse at their backs.
• If the band for which you are writing has sideline percussion, try to keep the battery forward of the back hash. Pushing the drum line too far back field can cause serious timing issues with the pit and will force the marching battery to play ahead of the beat to correct the problem.

Spacing

The space between performers dictates clarity of your form development and also musical impact. Though these can be changed with in a show, below are a few rules of thumb that I try to follow when writing.

Percussion:

• Snares – 2 Step
• Tenors – 3 Step
• Bass Drums – 4 Step
• Cymbals – 2 to 4 Step

Winds:

• Tubas
  • Sousaphones – 4 Step
  • Over the Shoulder – 2 to 4 Step
• All Other Winds – 2 to 4 Step

Guard:

• Weapons / Dancers – 4 to 8 Step
• Silks – 4 to 12 Step

Step Sizes:

Although step sizes will vary form position to position, below are a few of the most common

• 8 to 5: Comfortable for all sections.
• 6 to 5: More velocity. Only slightly larger than the step size of the average person.
• 5 to 5: Larger than average step size. Should only be used for short periods and at moments that are not musically challenging.
• 4 to 5: This is a standard “jazz run” step. Use only for short periods and moments that are not musically challenging. Avoid using this step size with tubas, bass drums and tenor drums.

While keeping these simple guidelines in mind, let’s begin to map out our show and start putting dots on paper.

I. Degree of Demand (Grade Level)

Before sitting down to design a visual package for a particular ensemble, I like to review video of its previous three years of performances. From these I can gain a wealth of information including performance and design techniques with which the students are already familiar and an over all sense of performance quality both for individual sections and the band as a whole.

Like most band music, a drill design can often be graded based on the demand that it places on the individual performer and the ensemble as a whole. In fact, many designers will grade their designs on the same 1 to 6 scale that is usually associated with band scores to make for an easy correlation. Also, like in choosing music for the band, it is important to purchase or create a drill design that offers the students the opportunity to grow while at the same time accenting your ensembles strengths while drawing attention away from its weaknesses.

For example, I have found that when it comes to visual design, the two most important sections to keep in mind when writing are the battery percussion and color guard. We will get in to the specifics of how to handle these sections in the next installment.

II. Design Concepts

Designing a show that will resonate with your audience is nearly as important as designing a show to fit your ensemble. If you are writing for a program that traditionally marches a Big Ten style half-time show, the last thing you may want to design is an extensive free-form moment complete with dancing mellophones. Conversely, if your audience includes judges, it is also important to write a show that is going to maximize your potential score in both composition and execution.

III. Dissecting The Musical Score

Prior to plotting that first page in Pyware, I will sit down with the entire program staff and break down the score into phrases . This final pre-design meeting ensures that all of the design team is on the same page with regard to phrasing and also gives me insight into necessary staging throughout the program (This is especially true with regard to the color guard as staging for them is critical based equipment, costume changes, etc.) The final result of this meeting is a phrasing spreadsheet (see below). This spreadsheet lays out not only count structure but also…

• Important Instrumentation – Staging important voices in the music book is as equally important as the type of movement you are designing. When staging, keep in mind the size and projection abilities of the instruments you are staging.
• Score Texture – The thickness of the voices in the music book has a big impact on the visual presentation of that book. If the voicing is fairly exposed, open up your staging and allow the eye to relax. If the texture is very dense, stack you layers vertically. This will add focus to the visual book but also make for a more homogenous band sound.
• Velocity – The speed of the visual development should match the rhythmic and harmonic tempo of the piece you are interpreting.
• Color Guard Staging Plans – Working with your guard designer should give you a good idea as to the type of work he/she is planning. Keep in mind the “reach” of the choreography (i.e. – a silk on a 6 ft. pole allows much greater visibility than a body only phrase).

A good drill design is one that puts all of these various elements of the marching ensemble together into one cohesive package. The success of this combination is directly related to the show’s logic and flow, the comfort with which your performers will present the design, the reaction of your audience and, if a competitive band, your G.E. score (both visual and musical). We are now ready to start putting dots on the paper.

Student in Audition Block

When it comes to selecting color guard members for any group (drum corps / winter guard / marching band), I have found it important to select the best performers . . . not necessarily the best spinners or dancers.  Crazy you say?  Well hear me out.

We all know that a great guard elevates any average show and a bad guard will kill it no matter how well the book is designed or how well the horns and percs perform.  It then stands to reason that you want kids in your guard that are good communicators and really want to be on stage.  Based on that premise, here is my process for auditioning.

Each prospective member is judged in four distinct areas:

1)  A short essay in which they explain why they wish to become a member of the guard.  A kid who cannot string thoughts together into a coherent paragraph will never be able to drive a show concept for up to 11 1/2 minutes.  I have actually cut kids based on their essays without ever seeing them pick up a flag.

2)  Pre-taught equipment fundamentals.

3)  Pre-taught movement fundamentals.

4)  A 2 minute performance of any medium they choose.  This may seem a bit odd to many directors but it is something I picked up in the late 1980s as a member of the Madison Scouts.  By allowing the auditioner to choose his performance tool, you really get to see his passion for performance and his comfort level being in front of others.  These traits aren’t usually apparent when first learning how to spin and dance.

My breakdown for weighting the evaluations on the day of the audition are 25% equipment / 25% movement / 50% personal performance.  Some have asked why so high on the performance.  The best response I have is as follows: “I can teach the skills needed to be a good guard member (spinning, dancing, reading forms, etc . . .), but the true love of performing must come from the individual.

- Scott Kurtzweil

Before we get into the particulars of the actual design for the 2009 Notre Dame HS Band, let’s take a few minutes to go over the design preparation that I go through with every school program for which I write. For those of you readers that are familiar with the show design clinics from previous years, this current installment will present nothing particularly new but I believe it is important to review none the less.

I. Degree of Demand (Grade Level)

Prior sitting down to design a visual package for a particular ensemble, I like to review video of its previous three years of performances. From these I can gain a wealth of information including performance and design techniques with which the students are already familiar and an over all sense of performance quality both for individual sections and the band as a whole.
Like most band music, a drill design can often be graded based on the demand that it places on the individual performer and the ensemble as a whole. In fact, many designers will grade their designs on the same 1 to 6 scale that is usually associated with band scores to make for an easy correlation. Also, like in choosing music for the band, it is important to purchase or create a drill design that offers the students the opportunity to grow while at the same time accenting your ensembles strengths while drawing attention away from its weaknesses.
Regardless of how years I may have written for a particular program, I always request the director complete a numbers survey for me (see example below). In the survey, the director provides not only his instrumentation but also the average grade by section as well as a movement grade. These tools help me better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each band.

Example Numbers Survey

II. Design Concepts

Designing a show that will resonate with your audience is nearly as important as designing a show to fit your ensemble. If you are writing for a program that traditionally marches a Big Ten style half-time show, the last thing you may want to design is an extensive free-form moment complete with dancing mellophones. Conversely, if your audience includes judges, it is also important to write a show that is going to maximize your potential score in both composition and execution.

III. Dissecting The Musical Score

Prior to plotting that first page in Pyware, I will sit down with the entire program staff and break down the score into phrases . This final pre-design meeting ensures that all of the design team is on the same page with regard to phrasing and also gives me insight into necessary staging throughout the program (This is especially true with regard to the color guard as staging for them is critical based equipment, costume changes, etc.) The final result of this meeting is a phrasing spreadsheet (see below). This spreadsheet lays out not only count structure but also…
Important Instrumentation – Staging important voices in the music book is as equally important as the type of movement you are designing. When staging, keep in mind the size and projection abilities of the instruments you are staging.

Score Texture – The thickness of the voices in the music book has a big impact on the visual presentation of that book. If the voicing is fairly exposed, open up your staging and allow the eye to relax. If the texture is very dense, stack you layers vertically. This will add focus to the visual book but also make for a more homogenous band sound.

Velocity – The speed of the visual development should match the rhythmic and harmonic tempo of the piece you are interpreting.

Color Guard Staging Plans – Working with your guard designer should give you a good idea as to the type of work he/she is planning. Keep in mind the “reach” of the choreography (i.e. – a silk on a 6 ft. pole allows much greater visibility than a body only phrase).

Example of Program Development Sheet

When writing for a new band, it is integral to the success of the program to gather as much information about the band’s history, style and strengths. Another key factor is to establish a strong understanding of the expectations of not only the director but also the school’s administration and the all important audience.

In my initial conversation with Pam Potter, Director of Bands at Quincy Notre Dame HS, I was able to obtain several key bits of information that will help me tailor a visual package that will meet the director’s needs, encourage her students to grew musically and physically as well as match the expectations of the band’s community and fans. Important information gleaned from this first conversation includes:

Band Size: The Quincy Notre Dame program is fairly small averaging between 40 and 50 members.

Performance Expectations: The Notre Dame band is not a competition band and performs only for home football games. Because of this, the show design will be geared toward student growth and entertaining a football audience as opposed to BOA sheets and a judging panel.

Color Guard: Unfortunately, the band will not be fielding a guard in 2009. Because of this, all visual interest will have to be handled by the band proper.

Staff: Though the program is small, director Pam Potter does have a strong and experienced staff. I look forward to working with them to put this show on the field.

I’ll soon be sending Pam requests for more defined information including exact numbers, phrasing charts and a current strength and weakness evaluation of her band by section. Also, as I do with all new bands for which I write, I have requested a video sample. This gives me the strongest idea of the band’s core competencies as well as audience reaction to design elements used in previous shows.

I’m greatly looking forward to working with this new band in 2009 and can’t wait to get writing.

One of the major challenges of doing a thematic show is . . . well frankly . . . sticking to the theme. Up to this point in the design, we have attempted through drill elements and guard equipment and vocabulary, to stick to a fairly literal interpretation of the movement titles. Vapor was more porous with smaller elements, liquid had a very fluid texture to it and Freeze began to introduce solid form elements. Transitioning to Solid seems like a no-brainer. Just stick to solid form development and all will be good.

The challenge for me here is was two fold. First, it’s difficult to maintain solid form drill for an extended period of time without looking like the 1942 Racine Scouts. The second challenge came in the harmonic texture and velocity of the fourth movement. It doesn’t always sound “solid” to my ear. Since I’ve already established a highly referential approach to the overall drill design, I had to find a way to stick with solid forms but still have it carry the velocity and counterpoint of the music book.

The remedy came in two ways. The first was to use solid forms in only certain important voices while supporting that focus with curvilinear movement in the counter melodies. This is an obvious technique in the first few pages.

After restaging the winds to realign voicing in the first two sets, the brass carrying the primary melody is pulled into a solid wedge and then pulled down stage. The woodwinds, who play a secondary role as a rhythmic pulse, are pulled behind in a follow-the-leader.

Restaging the winds

Brass to wedge

Brass pulled downstage

The wedge then rotates back into a solid block that incorporates the color guard. This sets ups the first major impact of the pieces and to pick up that, the drill uses internal contrary motion in the rings of the block. Basically, each ring of the block rotates in an opposite direction. This makes for pretty easy drill to teach and clean, has very little impact on the individual performer but has a huge GE impact by creating extreme velocity.

After this impact, the music book settles into one last transition before the final push. To keep with the solid theme but also pick up the transition, the block is broken into smaller solids that move independently of one another but will transition back to one final solid form.

We’re now in the home stretch. For the final push, the drill simply flexes the block and then rotates to a final, tighter form. My initial thought was that this movement would be too slow to pull off at the end of the show but after it was written, I found that it worked quite well. It progresses logically with plenty of internal motion and the movement of the guard and battery behind adds to the overall velocity. I also like this “slower” movement demand because it gives this young horn line and chance to worry less about its visual demands and focus on putting good air through the horns.

The final set pulls the band proper into a nice tight form right smack in the middle of the field and forward of the hash. This staging of the winds especially will really help with dynamic impact, a more unified sound as well as lesson the chance of phasing. Since the final guard equipment has not been established, they were pulled to fill the field behind the band. This will balance the tight form down stage as well as make an equipment change possible if the guard staff deems it necessary.

OK. So now the creative part of the show is complete. We have all of the dots on the paper. The staff is hard at work teaching the performers the drill, parents are busy sewing flags and costumes and of course the music and guard rehearsals that prepare the students for the field. Now the fun really begins. We need to put all of the “ideas” together into one cohesive production that will both wow the home fans and impress the judges. Next week we start to clean.

As we have mentioned in previous writings, the overarching show concept for Wyandotte this year is Aqua.  The first movement of this original work for marching band is titled Vapor and the staff and I wanted to pick-up the randomness and transparent quality of a vapor cloud.  You’ll see this theme come back at various times though out the opener but the introduction will have the most layering of efforts.

The starting line finds only the marching drums in any semblance of form.  The woodwinds frame the drums in a random set on the left while the brass and guard form a downstage frame.  This opening set will find the wind musicians and guard in various poses to further enhance the random look to the picture.

STARTING LINE

The initial focus, both musically and visually is the drum line.  They will be the only active section on the field for the first few pages.  The color guard staff introduces the idea of using large exercise balls as representative of water vapor or molecules.  This is first introduced on the soloist within the drum line and then within the brass.

PAGE 1

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As the wind voices enter, they take a more active role in the drill.  First the woodwinds are activated (yet still frame the drums).  And then the brasses activate.

PAGE 5

As the introduction builds to the first “HIT”, staging becomes extremely important.  Note that the entire band on page 7 finds itself within the “Power Zone” (between the 35s and forward of center field).  This will help with dynamic impact.  Also, because Wyandotte has a small guard using props that have a low vertical reach, I wanted to pull them down stage and highlight them as much as possible.  This will add a good focus to the picture as well as make the coming equipment change easier.

PAGE 7

After the first bug hit, the musical score softens into a more lilting melody with moderate counterpoint.  To pick this up, we softened the forms but kept the sections fairly well integrated to better accomplish cohesion in the ensemble performance.  Note the guard is also changing equipment here to pick up the musical change.

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After building to a second stand-still “hit”, the music moves into one large transition to the end.  The staff and I thought this to be a god place to bring back the “vapor” concept and I worked it into the drill design in small pods that build to the final hit of the opener before again disintegrating back to a formless picture.

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Next time . . . we tackle creating a liquid.