This is a long(ish) read, but pretend like it’s 1996, when we all still had attention spans. It’ll be worth the ROI. Or, just scroll on down to hear some cool music. If you make it to the end, please fax me your thoughts.

It’s on everyone’s mind: What’s the back-up plan for Marching Band 2020? We’ve all been working for months on costumes, arrangements, and designs. No one wants to give that up. Most will save their ‘Super Show’ for Fall 2021, and if that works for your program, great! But, where does that leave 2020? Many are considering doing a ‘scaled down show’ instead: three easy tunes. And. Done.

But, come on. Are you really excited about that?! I simply don’t see it that way.

Even during these unpredictable times, we are on the verge of something incredible. Lean into it. Embrace your crazy ideas, your unexplainables, and your silly doodles on random scratch paper. Trash the compulsories. Shred the sheets. Don’t even think about the gotta-do-this and gotta-do-thats. Forget everything you know about what a Marching Band show is suppose to be and use 2020 as a test-run opportunity to prequel the feature presentation, debuting Fall 2021.

Sure, we might have to create socially distanced staging, and we might not even be able to play a single note. Use that to your advantage! Find a new voice within this art form we all love so much. This way, you’re not putting everything you’ve been planning on hold. You’re actually doubling down and digging in deeper. That mindset and approach will, quite honestly, make next year’s main event so much more amazing.

Not following me? Okay, let’s say the source material for your show was inspired by Bon Iver’s “Holocene,” and your visual concept centered around “isolation.” I’ve created an audio example below of what I would do. You’ll hear that it’s not just the original version, but contains my own additions and sound design flavors telling a story of confinement wanting to be liberated. Grab some headphones to really feel all the layers. I’ll wait for you.

<<<tick tock tick tock tick tock>>>

You’re back, great! This would be cued as a pre-record over your sound system and played as-is in its entirety. If allowed, live ensemble performance could accompany the track. Either way, wow! There are so many beautiful and creative possibilities waiting to be brought to life on our 100-yard stage if you just free yourself and Listen Beyond Your Ears.

I should reiterate: the plan here is not to abandon everything that you’ve been working on for 2020 and go a totally different direction. No, not at all! The opposite, actually. Use the ideas you’ve been developing in 2020 to explore the possibilities for 2021. Think of it as a free pass to experiment, risk-free. You’ll be still be riding a high level of excitement for what 2020 was suppose to be, rather than putting together some hodgepodge musical quilt project that no one really gives a hoot about.

We’ve all been searching for new ways to present (and explain) what it is that we do. I’ve found the lemonade, and I’m buying it in bulk (provided I can get in at Costco!). 2020 could actually be the most original and imaginative season that we’ve seen in years. I can help. Will you JOIN ME?

Audio demo available upon request.