Selecting an indoor drumline show is both an exciting and daunting task, especially for a director who shoulders the entire responsibility without additional staff. The process involves balancing the creative vision with logistical realities, ensuring the show is engaging for students and feasible for a team with limited resources. Here’s a guide to help you choose the right show for your scholastic ensemble:
1. Assess Your Ensemble’s Skill Level
Before diving into show themes or music selection, it’s essential to evaluate your students’ abilities honestly. Consider their strengths and weaknesses:
- Battery and Front Ensemble Balance: Are your students stronger in the battery (snares, tenors, basses) or front ensemble (keyboards, drum set, electronics)? Choose a show that complements their strengths while giving room for growth.
- Individual Proficiency: If your students are still developing basic techniques, opt for a show that doesn’t overcomplicate rhythms, drill, or movement. A well-executed simple show will always outperform an overly ambitious one that falters.
- Endurance and Focus: Consider their endurance and attention span. Are they able to stay engaged and perform consistently for an entire season? Choose a show with pacing that helps them build stamina without becoming overwhelming.
2. Understand Your Time and Resources
With no additional staff, your time is your most precious resource. You’ll be handling everything from teaching music to writing drill and managing logistics, so you need to be realistic about what you can accomplish. Keep the following in mind:
- Time/Facility Constraints: Does your school schedule allow for extra rehearsals and regular gym access, or are you limited to class time and your band room/outdoors, respectively? Shows with simpler drill and fewer set changes can be highly effective when time and space are limited.
- Music and Drill Complexity: Opt for shows with pre-written music and drill that align with your ensemble’s abilities. While writing your own show may seem appealing, it can quickly become overwhelming without assistance.
- Equipment Availability: Consider what instruments and electronics you have access to. If you don’t have a large budget, avoid shows that require extensive electronics or props that will eat into valuable rehearsal time and resources.
3. Prioritize Repetition and Clarity
Since you’ll be managing both the musical and visual aspects of the show, look for productions that thrive on repetition. Simpler thematic elements and music with recurring motifs can help your students improve through practice without the need for constant reteaching.
- Visual Clarity: Choose a show that doesn’t require complex movement. With limited staff, it’s crucial that drill and choreography are straightforward, allowing you to focus on cleaning performance elements rather than inventing new ones mid-season.
- Effective Staging: Look for shows that emphasize staging, making use of stationary moments or small, controlled movement. This will allow you to manage the ensemble more efficiently without needing complex formations or transitions that require hours of cleaning.
4. Choose Compelling Yet Realistic Themes
Your show’s theme should inspire the students and engage the audience, but it also needs to be within the capabilities of your ensemble. The best themes for a single director setup are those that don’t require elaborate costumes, props, or intricate narratives.
- Accessible Storylines: Opt for shows with clear, relatable themes. Avoid shows that demand high-level acting or intricate prop manipulation. Instead, focus on storytelling through music and basic visual effects that can be achieved with what you already have.
- Broad Appeal: Themes related to emotions, nature, or abstract concepts can often be portrayed effectively with minimal props and visuals. Avoid overly complex or niche ideas that might be hard to communicate to an audience without specialized design help.
5. Utilize Pre-Designed Shows
There are many companies that offer pre-designed indoor drumline shows, complete with music, drill, and even prop suggestions. For a director working solo, these can be lifesavers, providing a professional and cohesive design without the need for a large staff.
- Tailored to Your Needs: Many of these shows can be customized to fit your ensemble’s size and skill level, saving you the hassle of doing everything from scratch. This is something we offer to all of our clients for a modest fee.
6. Foster Student Ownership
Without additional staff, your students will need to take on more responsibility than they might in a larger program. Empowering them to take ownership of certain aspects of the show can help alleviate some of your workload while promoting growth and engagement.
- Section Leaders: Train section leaders to run basic music rehearsals, allowing you to focus on visual or ensemble-wide issues during practice.
- Student-Led Cleaning: Encourage students to analyze and clean specific sections on their own, which can reduce the time you need to spend on individual parts.
7. Plan for the Long Season
With limited support, your energy is finite. As you plan your show, think ahead to the end of the season. Will the students still be motivated and improving by the last competition?
- Endurance: Avoid choosing a show that peaks too early in the season or requires constant updates and changes. Consistency is key to maintaining the ensemble’s energy and enthusiasm throughout the months of rehearsal and competition.
- Simplicity Over Flash: Flashy shows with many moving parts can be thrilling, but they are difficult to maintain with a single director. Simple, well-executed concepts will sustain momentum and keep your ensemble competitive.
Conclusion
Choosing an indoor drumline show for a scholastic ensemble when you’re the sole director can be challenging, but with thoughtful planning and realistic expectations, it’s entirely possible to create a successful and fulfilling season. Focus on the strengths of your students, manage your time wisely, and opt for simplicity and clarity over complexity. By doing so, you’ll not only ensure a positive experience for your ensemble but also make the season more manageable and enjoyable for yourself.
Start browsing our catalog of indoor percussion shows so you can find your next show with us!