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Bandtober Breakdown: Texas Bands, Drill Science & Marching Accountability
162 Plays2 days ago
Your All-Access Pass to the Marching Arts!
This week, Whitney Stone, José “Joey” Montes III, Alicia Sharp, and first-time guest Amari Lewis dive into the chaos of Bandtober—from Texas showdowns and rehearsal rules to accountability and drill cleaning that actually works.
🎺 In Joey’s 60-Second Tech Block, he explains how to clean drill like a scientist—fix the source, not the symptom. Then the team lets loose in “Water We Doing?!”, calling out three-hour full-ensemble rehearsals, upside-down flag silks, and DCI members who treat the summer like a vacation instead of a responsibility.
💖 Finally, everyone takes a deep breath for Gush & Go—celebrating Monterey High’s first marching band in 38 years, Joey’s new BAC 8to5 Horns rep role, and the pure joy of Bandtober season.
Guest Spotlight: Amari Lewis, Michigan State University drum major and Mandarins alum, shares his 32-Count Life Story and talks about leadership work with Silent Command and DCI’s Drum Major Leadership Committee.
Sponsored by: Guard Closet and Peak Group Travel
📧 Want to be on the show? Email us at onawaterbreakpodcast@gmail.com or fill out the guest form via our Linktree.
🌐 Find us at onawaterbreakpodcast.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Engagement
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey everyone and welcome back to On a Water Break, the podcast where we talk about everything you and your friends are talking about at rehearsal on a water break. This week we are talking about Bantober. We'll also find out what made Alicia say.
00:00:14
Speaker
he apologized to his students but it looks like the community's really kind of stood behind him in this and has wished him the best. And why Joey said... I'll try anything.
00:00:24
Speaker
don't know. Tell me to skin a cat and use that for a string. don't you dare. All of this and more on this week's episode of On a Water Break. Adolph the Met and go. Welcome to On a Water Break. The podcast where we talk everything marching arts.
00:00:48
Speaker
Everyone, bring it in. It's time for a water break. Hey everyone, it's Whitney. We have a great episode this week, but before we see who's on the sideline this week, go and subscribe on your favorite listening app, write us a review, share this with a friend. And do you have a question or a good topic to talk about?
00:01:06
Speaker
Email us at onawaterbreakpodcast at gmail.com or find us on social media and DM us if you want to be on the show.
Transition from Bantober to Wintober
00:01:15
Speaker
We have a form now to fill out if you want to be a guest.
00:01:19
Speaker
Check it out at our link in the bio. Who's on the sidelines this week? Alicia, Joey, how's your Bantober going? but My Bantober is finally wrapping up. I have two judging gigs left and finishing up with finishing up my band season with a trip to Amsterdam with my best friend.
00:01:40
Speaker
So looking forward to that. Ready for it to be done. Ready for winter. home uh we're right in the thick of it uh i just finished my two judging opportunities in a row and now we're going to orlando with a band next week is delaware the following week is disney again so we're going to universal this weekend i have delaware up north in the cold in the rain and the silliness and then we go back down to orlando with another band not doing any boa stuff we're just gonna go have a good time So I get to go to Orlando twice within like a three-week span.
00:02:13
Speaker
Then it's State Conference. Then it's Pacek-Sach BOA. And then it's winter, winter, winter, winter. So Bantober is becoming winter to... Wintober. Wintober.
00:02:25
Speaker
It's all a thing. It never stops.
Winter Show Preparations and Challenges
00:02:27
Speaker
It never stops. It always feels like the planet... Like, well, we should be... I don't say we should we should be done, but we we should be pretty close to picking whatever's going to happen in the winter. So it almost feels like there's just not really even like a break...
00:02:39
Speaker
Like we just finished designing for all the fall stuff. It all arrived, all the pretty colors, all the pretty costumes. and all of sudden we're already talking about what pretty costumes we're putting them in in like four months. Oh yeah. a A couple of my groups settled on their shows this week for winter. So I'm getting into the thick of the design process for them now, but I'm ready for it.
00:03:00
Speaker
I could do winter all year round. It is nicer. There's no wind. Oh my God. so There's no heat. There's none of that. We're doing a, there's a, there's ah an effect that we have where we were not released balloons because we have them waited. They're going to stay on the ground, but we let them go. And there's a bolt that holds them down.
00:03:20
Speaker
And there's some that go up to like 10 feet tall and then come all the way down to like six and four. So it's this nice, very cool, like really cool moment. And the music is very airy and open. It's a cool moment.
00:03:31
Speaker
um But we have not been able to do it a single weekend because every weekend has just been so darn windy. Yeah. That sucks. So we're going to probably put them on PVC pipe or something and just stick them up in the air.
00:03:44
Speaker
Fishing line? Could you do fishing line? Is that heavier that it would just not let the wind blow it? but I don't know. I'll try anything. don't know. Tell me to skin a cat and use the fur and the string. don't you dare. I'd love to say it.
00:03:59
Speaker
No animal cruelty for band. totally really hard for a second right Sorry, everybody. It's been a long, it's been a long band tober. That's my answer. My bad. Moving on.
00:04:10
Speaker
We also have a new guest on the sidelines this week. Joining us for the first time is Amari. aye
00:04:19
Speaker
We have a little thing we like to do with our new friends called the 32-count life story. We'll give you eight off the Met, and you tell us everything from the beginning up to this very moment in 32 counts.
00:04:31
Speaker
Amari, you ready? Yeah.
00:04:38
Speaker
My name is Amari,
Meet Amari and Texas Marching Band Competitions
00:04:40
Speaker
and I live in Michigan, and I go to Michigan State, and I'm a wildlife conservation major with defensive study minor.
00:04:51
Speaker
and I marched the vanderins for two seasons and now I'm auditioning again.
00:05:02
Speaker
i feel I need to give that some applause. You can barely hear the mic.
00:05:08
Speaker
Oh, I could tell you were like really counting and trying to stay in your 32 pounds. I was a little bit more about you though, because you're into some really cool committees and things.
00:05:19
Speaker
Yeah. So here at school, I'm in the ROTC as a first sergeant. I'm also in the Michigan national guard drilling with a military intelligence unit.
00:05:29
Speaker
And then in DCI, we started this last season. um It is a drum major leadership committee. It's, essentially just ah getting all the drum majors together and kind of allowing us to converse amongst ourselves and encourage like a lot more inter core relationships and like personal relationships between drum majors and give each other advice.
00:05:51
Speaker
And then between like now and the drum major summit, we're trying to extend it further to the big five where we go to the drum major summit in January and converse with the DCI board.
00:06:03
Speaker
and discuss more things that the drum majors from last season really thought were important to fix up for this season. And then I also marched with the Spartan marching but here at Michigan state for two seasons.
00:06:15
Speaker
You're involved in all the things you have a very busy schedule, don't you? Now you mentioned before the episode two, you do something with WGI's DEI committee? but No, not WGI. I think the scholarship is extended to WGI, but it's amazing essentially. and The portion that I'm involved with is the LGBTQ all inclusiveness, basically an initiative kind of.
00:06:41
Speaker
Mazin is way more than just the LGBTQ coalition, but we basically, they use the representatives and the marchers from DCI and WGI ah to get their message out. And then in return, we get scholarship money.
00:06:54
Speaker
That's awesome. yeah Super cool. Awesome. Well, we are glad to have you on. Well, we are deep into Bantober, and you know what they say. The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas.
00:07:09
Speaker
Had to do it. And so are the bands. Being in Texas, I am in the midst of all the happenings. It's crazy down here. Everybody's really freaking good this year. There are some new bands that have popped into the top.
00:07:24
Speaker
Suddenly, so we're all kind of panicking about the San Antonio regional because i can literally name like 20 bands that should make finals and only 14 are going.
00:07:36
Speaker
um So we're all kind of like a little panicked. It's fine. I, you know, I think even, even some of the big names are like, cause how they, I don't know if they do this at all of the, um the super regionals, but yeah,
00:07:49
Speaker
It's split into two panels. So like each chunk of bands and is a panel one and the panel two, panel one, panel two. It goes through that both days. But each group of judges, each panel of judges gets four, no five bands.
00:08:04
Speaker
So they get five bands that will definitely make it from each panel. And then the next four highest scores. And the panel that we are in at Bridgeland, there are 12 bands.
00:08:17
Speaker
12 bands that should be in finals just from our panel. yeah so we're we're kind of all freaking out a little bit. But yeah. Yeah. That's insane. it is It's going to be crazy. I think everybody everybody needs to watch the San Antonio regional because it is going to be a bloodbath. I mean, like many bands are going to be absolutely devastated.
00:08:41
Speaker
Like just devastated. Yeah. And, and it's the last, that's the last show in Texas for us. 6A state is like the Monday, Tuesday before the regional. And then 5A state is after the regional. So most of the big bands like San Antonio is their last show if they're not going to Grand Nats.
00:08:59
Speaker
So it's, it's going to be, it's going to be interesting. so don't I'm sorry for my ignorance. I don't know much about Texas ah band other than it's good.
00:09:11
Speaker
The San Antonio Regional, is that a BOA regional or is that a UIL regional? Okay. And then UIL is like it's the circuit for Texas? It's the state, yes. Universal universal Interscholastic League.
00:09:24
Speaker
Okay. Yeah. It governs like all sports and everything competitive, basically. Okay. Okay. Thank you for educating me. Yes. but Yes. I know. It's a lot. It's a lot. yeah UIL is the reason why we have the eight-hour rule.
00:09:38
Speaker
So, yeah. It's... Yes. yeah And the eight-hour rule for those listening that don't know. um We can only rehearse eight hours a week outside of class time.
00:09:49
Speaker
And you get extra time for performances. So like if you've got a football game and a competition, you get two extra hours. But like, I mean, that really means you only have an hour rehearsal on a Saturday, you know, like that that's, that's it. Like an hour.
00:10:06
Speaker
And there's some new rule that they put into place this year about like, if you have, don't, I don't even remember. Oh, if something about like, if you are missing days of school in the week, you get extra time or something like this week, we had Monday and Tuesday off of school.
00:10:20
Speaker
So nice. So we got, we got like an extra, I don't know, five seconds of rehearsal. I'm not even sure. Like, Yeah, so we don't get a lot of rehearsal, but pretty much everybody has class here. So and help that is that's the positive. it would be It would be different if we didn't have classes here.
00:10:38
Speaker
Yeah, so i think and I think it's important for the like the listeners, watchers, who have you, subscribers, to know, like think about all the crazy Texas bands you've seen, knowing that there's a... there's a cap on a rehearsal. How much they add.
00:10:52
Speaker
So then then you want to talk about like which bands may have the best rehearsal procedure, which I think really help with getting anything. If you can have your mind consistently in the same place while you're learning these things, it becomes a lot easier to stack all the responsibilities we put on these members.
00:11:07
Speaker
Like those Texas bands are so good at those
Podcast Previews and Promotions
00:11:10
Speaker
procedures. I mean, I love watching those pictures of those big bands on the asphalt and all their water jugs are all like neatly placed in the right place. The handles are like, because all that little bit of precisions that they need to be aware of helps clean the 200, 300 people you have on the field. Texas bands are just a different level.
00:11:27
Speaker
Oh my gosh. I think a lot of it, a lot of Texas and I've taught it a lot of bands in Texas, but a lot of it feels very much like drum corps as far as like rehearsal etiquette and procedure and everything. so I mean, there's there's a reason.
00:11:42
Speaker
so Do they all have the same amount of class time across the state or is that different by district? No, it it depends on the district. Like in SciFair ISD, we have eight classes a day.
00:11:55
Speaker
But when I was in Round Rock ISD, we only had, they had four periods a day. So they were longer classes. Yeah. So no, it's it's not consistent. Oh, that's tough.
00:12:06
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Yep. cool that the band the texas fans are doing what they do with those limitations because it's insane it's wild you gotta watch texas this year it's so good it's so good it's like not even help protect crazy yeah and i'll watch the san antonio regional now that i know and you definitely should it is insane Okay.
00:12:32
Speaker
ah We want to take this time to preview some amazing episodes and bonus content we have going on. October 13th was the perfect tuba host Chris and Trish and Nicole sat down with Sam Quinones, author of the perfect tuba. So definitely check that out.
00:12:47
Speaker
September 28th, we had symbols, costumes, and color wheels. Liam Reynolds joined Jackie, Trish, Grantees, and Emily to explain the world of symbol lines. Plus a look at colors and uniform design.
00:12:59
Speaker
We'll be right back after a word from our sponsors. Don't go anywhere.
00:13:12
Speaker
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Speaker
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Controversy Over Ten Commandments Law
00:14:34
Speaker
So now why don't we see what's happening in the news this week?
00:14:52
Speaker
So um this is a fun story. i mean, it's not fun. It's fun. what it is. But if you guys remember, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill into law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in their classroom in a conspicuous place in each classroom.
00:15:13
Speaker
And they have to be no smaller than 16 by 20 inches, and which is just wild to me. And a band director in Texas decided that instead of displaying the Ten Commandments, he would resign in protest.
00:15:28
Speaker
He said, I believe very strongly that politics and religion have no place in the public schools. Johnny Cotton is his name. He was the band director at Carthage High School, and he spent 42 years as a teacher and administrator.
00:15:41
Speaker
And he says in that time, he wanted to make sure that his classroom and campus stayed neutral on both counts. So when they said you have to do it, he said absolutely not and decided to resign.
00:15:53
Speaker
He apologized to his students, but it looks like the community's really kind of stood behind him in this and has wished him the best. I say good for him. standing on his morals and doing what he has to do. Alicia, I'm going to, I'm going tiny bit fact check you because I think the actual law is that if someone purchases 10 commandments for the entire district, then you have to put it up because they're not up in CFISD yet, but I know.
00:16:21
Speaker
Where the district that Pearland is in they had to put them up. So I think it it has to be purchased by someone for every classroom in the district before it is like required to be put up.
00:16:34
Speaker
I believe that is what it actually is because we don't we don't have them yet. Okay. yeah Yeah. This article I'm reading says that the law went into effect September first So and it also sounds like, well, it just going into effect on the first also sounds like maybe this band director got to start the year with his students and just resigned, and which but I guess could be a positive and a negative, you know, but either way, ah just ugh.
00:17:02
Speaker
yeah gross What a silly reason to lose. I mean, obviously a pretty tenured educator and you'd hope by 42 years that he's done something well. And with the community being behind him, I, you know, that's pretty easy to assume.
00:17:13
Speaker
I don't
Pop Culture Collaborations with Marching Arts
00:17:14
Speaker
know much about that story, but I just think what a silly reason to lose somebody that has that much knowledge. yeahp Yeah. It's a shame. We're losing great educators every day. Yeah. Anyway, let's, let's move on to happier news story.
00:17:29
Speaker
Yeah, so we got the legendary Red Hot Chili Pepper drummer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chad Smith performed at the University of Minnesota marching band for their halftime show. The homecoming event was apparently better than the score because they lost seventeen to thirty against the Boiler Makers.
00:17:49
Speaker
So Purdue kind of got a W there, but the I think Minnesota still got a W on their halftime show, I'd say.
00:17:57
Speaker
I like when these pop stars be coming back and doing stuff with marching bands. Like the Pharrell stuff was really cool. I'm with him doing his stuff with his high school there in Virginia and this, and and like Metallica does that, you know, the marching competition. Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:11
Speaker
I think it's really, really cool. And I think it helps like keep what we do kind of in the popular eye. Yeah. And relevant. And I'm like, I'm hoping that bad bunny uses some kind of, you know, moving band in his halftime show.
00:18:23
Speaker
but I'm trying to find a way. This is my little blurb. I've been waiting for this moment all day. If anybody knows about where the bad bunny dancer auditions are, I will fly there. As soon as I find out, I want to perform with that man. I'm back in the dance world. Please help me out. There's my black, blah, blah, blah, blah.
00:18:39
Speaker
Where is the Superbowl to be? One of the stadiums in California, I think. It's in San Francisco. It's the 49ers stadium. I don't know why I'll line up.
00:18:51
Speaker
I'll fly there. I'll do it. I'll go to night. And getting in Sports Illustrated cover that too, Omari? i have... This is straight from the Minnesota Gophers page.
00:19:04
Speaker
Oh, cool. yeah I'm pretty sure there was Sports Illustrated coverage of it too, which is just great exposure. How cool. Yeah. And his family had scholarship money to the School of Music at Minnesota.
00:19:16
Speaker
oh sweet.
Percussion Community Updates and PASIC 2026
00:19:18
Speaker
That's awesome. Our dogs are happy, too. We had a dog in the audience just now to be here. Yeah, Danny is so excited. Somebody put up, instead of the applause sign, it was just the bark sign. Oh, sorry, applause.
00:19:32
Speaker
What WGI news do we have? We have so much WGI news. um The first thing we have is auditions for the 2026 season. If you go to wgi.org slash audition, um you can find all available information there. There's a segment for color guard, percussion, and winds. So if you are interested in auditioning, i think maybe for winter guard, you might be a little bit late, but I don't know about ah percussion and winds when they do all that, but yeah.
00:20:02
Speaker
Yeah. Audition. Keep marching. Other WGI news. We have the 2026 Hall of Fame nominations. The deadline to submit all Hall of Fame nominees is November 14th at 1159 p.m.
00:20:16
Speaker
This is your chance to help recognize individuals from the winter percussion activity i'm at World Championships. So go you can go to WGI.org.
00:20:28
Speaker
slash 26 HOF nomination for more information. So get those nominations in for your favorite percussion peoples. Yeah.
00:20:38
Speaker
My dogs, my dogs agree. That's it for WGI stuff. um I'll talk about the next thing. I'm really excited about it. I'll be there.
00:20:50
Speaker
Again, just a little we' nugget there. Joey will be there, so you should come do it. ah Registration's been open. Still open for PASIC. You can actually go and buy a um badge, wristband, whatever, on the day as well.
00:21:02
Speaker
But it is definitely cheaper if you do it before. um So register for PASIC while you're there at BOA. Grand Nats, those happen in the same space. the PASIC is in the convention. BOA is obviously in the stadium.
00:21:14
Speaker
That's November 12th through the 15th in Indianapolis. There's a beautiful Taco Bell Cantino right across the street if you need to wet your whistle and have a taco or two. So... know I'm off the wall today. I apologize, but Pacek's going to be so much fun.
00:21:28
Speaker
Catch me at the Taco Bell Cantina. Wait, where is Taco Bell? What? Drop a pit. yes You walk out of the convention down that road to go to the that one that burger shop, the one that people like, the red and white thing.
00:21:44
Speaker
it's It's there. so It's right under the mall. It's right across the street on the other side by the Marriott, I believe. and There's just a Taco Bell Cantina right there. You can get a Nice and refreshed Baja Blast.
00:21:55
Speaker
Freeze.
00:21:58
Speaker
Incredible. Incredible. and So we're meeting Joey for tacos. What is PASIC stand for? Is it an action? Yes. Percussive Arts Society.
00:22:10
Speaker
And then I believe the IC is International Convention. Oh, got it. yeah So like every state has their own Percussive Arts Society. um So like it's like K-Pass, T-Pass, you know, NC Pass or what have you.
00:22:22
Speaker
And it's like per state. And this is all of them coming together. It's really, really cool. So like there's concerts, there's intensives, there's drum circles, there's a whole, they fill out like two huge halls of the, um,
00:22:36
Speaker
whatchamacallit, of the convention center. Yeah, and it had, like, you can play all the Sabian and Vic Firth and Newstix and, you know, um i believe this year, um i like, Scojo's
Enhancing Performance Tours with Peak Group Travel
00:22:49
Speaker
walking around. the The people, like, the CEOs of Dynasty are there and and all of them. You can shake hands and learn from people. Terry Sanders is doing a great thing. I'm gonna go try and watch him.
00:22:58
Speaker
He's fantastic. A few years ago, Ivan Trevino came and played, and that was insane. Just an absolute legend in the percussion game. And so being able to go and dance at a concert of his as he's teaching to play.
00:23:10
Speaker
Let's get done. Pacing is such thing. And it's like, let's say you've watched enough marching band for one day, just trickle on over and watch just the sea of drummers that all dress the same and all have the same kind of posture as they watch.
00:23:22
Speaker
It's a different world, and it's so fun to people watch. Oh my God. It's so real. i love drummers. I love band nerds. Joey, your particular band nerd just made me so happy. one Man.
00:23:38
Speaker
Okay. Moving right along. a Travel tip. It's time for your peak group travel tip of the week brought to you by our sponsors at peak group travel, helping you navigate your next adventure, whether it's across the country or just to your next competition.
00:23:53
Speaker
Hi everyone, it's time for your travel tip of the week with me. I'm Beth with Peak Group Travel. Performance tours are a great way to showcase your ensemble in new cities and for new audiences.
00:24:05
Speaker
But be sure to also include local attractions and sightseeing tours or cruises to give your group a full cultural experience while they're on the road. Don't forget to like and follow Peak Group Travel on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
00:24:20
Speaker
And be sure to email info at peakgrouptravel.com when you're ready to start planning your next performance tour. This is your travel tip of the week with me, Beth, from Peak Group Travel.
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Speaker
Ready to elevate your travel game? Welcome to Peak Group Travel, the ultimate adventure creators. Whether you're planning an unforgettable class trip, a once in a lifetime parade experience for your marching band, or a choir tour full of memorable performance venues, Peak Group Travel handles it all so you can focus on making memories.
00:25:02
Speaker
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Tech Tips for Marching Arts
00:25:28
Speaker
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00:25:28
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00:25:41
Speaker
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. And be sure to visit peakgrouptravel.com today. You pick the date and we'll make it great.
00:26:00
Speaker
Okay, everyone, we are back. It is time for our 60-second tech block. 60-second tech block.
00:26:15
Speaker
This is the segment where one of our hosts or guest clinicians is put on the spot to deliver a nonstop 60 second tech session on a topic that needs some serious attention after the last run.
00:26:27
Speaker
Our special tech this week has come prepared with three topics they think they can talk about for a full 60 second straight. No hesitation, no pauses, just pure technical gold. And this week, let's see, I think we're going to throw it over to Joey.
00:26:41
Speaker
Joey, you said your best topics were... yeah I've got three. ah Best is kind of a ah term I like to use loosely. So these are amazingly best.
00:26:52
Speaker
um Packing for a show day would be one. I've got this night nice little bag I'd like to share, like little Mary Poppins bag of all my good treats um and just how to be prepared for a show day.
00:27:03
Speaker
My second one would be cleaning some drill. it's ah It's the middle of October. We probably got our last movement on, and now it's time to... polish it up and make it look pretty for finals and champs and all those jazzes.
00:27:13
Speaker
So that's my second one. And then my last one would be, um, that pre-show, um, rehearsal, whether that's the Thursday before Friday before, maybe even the Saturday of, um, how to get the most out of, uh, and what to start focusing on to prep them for the best run they can have.
00:27:28
Speaker
Um, so those are the three that I've got. What do y'all think? Uh, I don't know. What do you guys think? I kind of think we should go with the drill one since it is that time. Cleaning drill for sure. Yeah, I really would love to see what's in your man purse, Joey, but... Maybe we can do that also. We'll a little... When we're done recording, Joey can show us his bag. Well, yeah, isn't that like a trend?
00:27:52
Speaker
Like a bag haul or whatever, and they just pull everything that's out. You you know what I'm talking about? A bag haul. What's in your purse? Yeah, what's in your purse? well What's in Joey's show day first?
00:28:04
Speaker
But no, I think cleaning drill. Let's go with cleaning drill. I Okay. All right. Joey, are you ready? Amari, can you pull up a 60 second timer on your phone? On it. Okay.
00:28:15
Speaker
Tell us when you're ready. Three, two, one, go. Okay, so cleaning drill. We got 60 seconds. Let's talk about it. Step one, fix the source, not the symptom. Don't yell, dress the line.
00:28:29
Speaker
Ask why is the land off line off? Are they bad dots, weak intervals, no visual landmarks? Solve that and the line fixes itself. Stop saying dress the line, find the problem, and then you can say dress the line.
00:28:41
Speaker
Step two, use consistency like a weapon. Step size, same step size, same pathway, same initiation point. Predictability builds clarity and clarity builds cleanliness.
00:28:52
Speaker
Make sure we're starting and stopping in the right place. ah Rehearsal, or step three, sorry, my bad. Rehearsal, but rehearse like scientists, change one variable at a time. Tempo, step size, direction, never all three.
00:29:03
Speaker
Be consistent. Step four, and remember, This is all about the kids. Celebrate good reps, not perfection. Clean drill isn't about a erasing personality. It's about a aligning purpose. So as long as we start in the same place and end in the same place, we can talk about what happens in the middle. Celebrate those little successes.
00:29:20
Speaker
A couple last hints. what what Where am I at with my time? ah Slow your reps down. Do the halftime rep. yeah Halftime on the mat so you can work on some timing stuff if things are happening crazy with the mat.
00:29:31
Speaker
And that's great. That was a lot. Man, I have never heard someone say, treat it like a science. Like know how you said like one variable at a time. Like I know that, but I've never heard that put into words so neatly for me to remember. Thank you.
00:29:50
Speaker
Yeah, we we talk about scaffolding a lot. um And so like, you know, the biggest thing is feet timing. And like postures, everything is a posture exercise. So from the very get go, whatever they're doing, whether like what our our pre pre ah rehearsal workouts, everything's done with great posture, chins up, all the things always like postures, not anything that's a priority because it's something that we just live.
00:30:12
Speaker
Then from there, it's, it's scaffolding, it's feet timing, it's leg shape, it's foot articulation, it's nuance on top of all of that, but all of that gets stacked. And so and think as you, if you can make them aware of those things,
00:30:24
Speaker
and then have them just change one thing, you know? That makes it a lot. Like, cause usually it is one thing. It's like, oh, you're just, and one, you gotta hit. Or one cross two is the problem. Or that hip shift that happens on five, we really gotta make sure you're, like, it's all individual. And if they know how to fix that that one thing and isolate those things, I think you're already cleaner from the get-go. They're just aware.
00:30:45
Speaker
This year, I can't even get kids to put their feet on the beat. Oh my gosh. That is the number one problem we are facing this year as a band. Here's my question. It's hard to step on the and counts. Why are you doing that? yeah Are you listening? to like it it's so it's right it right that like i usually like I feel like if I lean into it with them, that'll get them more. It never happens.
00:31:07
Speaker
yeah how How often are they doing timing work? Is it just when you have them spinning? Do you just march? ah wherere I'm talking full band here, not just Color Guard, but no, I mean, they're doing they're in a fundamental block every single day.
00:31:21
Speaker
Here's my secret sauce. Here's my secret sauces. um who's the who's the there's a There's the movement people, um something education, and then there's the ah other guy that's from California, Daniel.
00:31:35
Speaker
He has the workout stuff. Yeah, yeah. I know what you're talking about. ah for not Forte. Forte. Yes, Forte. He does a really good job of it. I've just seen him do it, but I know other physical trainers are doing it as well.
00:31:46
Speaker
All of the exercises happen to beats. So like, instead of them doing jumping jacks, do jumping jacks to beats, do scissor kicks to beats, do, um, you know, switching arm link, whatever the heck's to, to beats and like, and then put it to music. And so this week, then, you know, week one of our nine week season week one, it's a, a, a, a song at one 20 week three, we're probably song at one 42. It's usually like a pop song.
00:32:11
Speaker
Right. 168. we get into week, like seven by week eight and we're, we're all moving and flowing. They've, they've been doing workouts at 172 for a couple of weeks, you know? And so like, they're constantly working on, on the beats, like being doing to the beat because the workout feels like it's a dance.
00:32:27
Speaker
They're working on timing there. It shows up in the drill. Like my, like I'll talk specifically about the Enloe kids um because I think that I can, I have that kind of space as a coordinator there.
00:32:37
Speaker
They come to us. like little baby, jurk newborn giraffes. And like I say, that I'll say that to them. I've said that to their parents. I've said that to the program coordinator, you know, and the cool thing about the team there is that we scaffold things. And the biggest thing that we, the biggest plus we felt this year is that we did all of their workouts to music. All of their workouts were in time.
00:32:58
Speaker
And so, Not only are they working on in time with their horns out here and working on flexing their feet. That's a lot to think about already on top of being on beat. They know how to do a jumping jack. That's pretty you know normal to us.
00:33:11
Speaker
So do that to a beat. You've done jumping jacks since middle school. Come on. You can do it to a beat. And they're already working on timing. The timing of Enloe has gotten so much better since August. Oh, my gosh.
00:33:22
Speaker
Oh, my Lord. That's all so helpful. Thank you.
Optimizing Rehearsal Time and Band Traditions
00:33:25
Speaker
No problem. Can we get like a really quick purse haul of your bag? Okay. Like really quick. My little Mary Poppins bag. Okay.
00:33:34
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I am in charge of like pretty much all three idioms that, you know, a one or so school. So I can't, i my bag doesn't just have stuff for music. It has guard stuff and everything. So like my first thing is I got electric electrical tape. I've got black and white.
00:33:51
Speaker
These are brand new tapes. They're ready to go. Yeah. And then I've got nine volt batteries for my, my Dr. Beats. They, they seem to go dead. If your Dr. Beat dies, I've got a really cool space Dr. Beat we can share.
00:34:06
Speaker
Um, I've got little, um, tiny screwdriver set. That always works for those woodwinds. I've got, if your cables go bad, do which we know we always ri be be ripping cables on show days, I've got a cable tester.
00:34:19
Speaker
I've got mouthpiece puller. Those are great. A chewing tool when your Trimbo player drops his structures thing. And then my final thing is I've got a ah packet of McDonald's barbecue sauce because you never know when you'll go home.
00:34:36
Speaker
You just never know when going need barbecue sauce. Yeah. Sometimes the stadium barbecue sauce isn't it.
00:34:45
Speaker
So right. You're so correct. All right. Now it is. no way So sorry. Stepped right on that. What are you doing, dude? What am I doing?
00:34:59
Speaker
What are we doing? Oh, I went early on that, though. It's fine. It's fine. Whatever you want to do. Whatever you want to Swinging it. It's time for everyone's favorite, what are we doing?
00:35:12
Speaker
This is the part of the show where we let loose a little bit or maybe a lot. This is your chance to rant about something in the marching arts that just doesn't make sense. Maybe it's a tradition that needs to go or a habit that performers can't seem to break.
00:35:25
Speaker
Maybe it's something that makes you think, why are we even doing this? Or why haven't we started doing this yet? Whatever it is, this is your moment to call it out. So who's got something they need to get off their chest? Joey, are you ready?
00:35:36
Speaker
um Um, yeah, I could be ready. I guess my, my, what are we doing right now is what are we doing? Doing three hours of full ensemble or in our, in our three and a half hour rehearsal.
00:35:46
Speaker
Um, you know i You know, I think i think it's great to to see about ensemble growth and ensemble all the things, but if we don't even know our sets, why does it make sense to waste the front ensemble's time reteaching you the sets and reteaching you how to play and move in those sets?
00:36:03
Speaker
Let's do music on the move on another field. Let the front ensemble percussion have a percussion ensemble and work on timing because... I'm a bad drill writer and I always put the drummers way far back and it makes it all crazy for timing. So, um, give them reps on making me look like a better educator than I am. And I appreciate all of those drummers.
00:36:20
Speaker
Um, but like, let the winds go and work on some music. Come on. Why are we in full ensemble for that long? Good one. That's fair. and Amari, are you ready? Yeah. Uh, big one. And this is just DCI related. Why are we treating DCI like a summer camp?
00:36:36
Speaker
like a band camp. I feel like a lot of people, especially new members that I'm meeting are very much into the whole, I've done all the work I need to do to get my contract and now I get to float until indie.
00:36:49
Speaker
It's like, there's no self accountability. There's, there's no type of individual motivation or even to the extent of like, Oh, drum major, you're going to tell me what to do.
00:37:01
Speaker
and That's gonna be all that I have to follow. I don't have to worry about anything I think a lot of drum corps would be more self-sufficient if they really really pestered on the the basis and the seed planting culture of making sure that they contract individuals that are self-motivated because you even if you're a nepo baby Even if you have like perfect pitch or you came out of the womb playing the trombone, you're going to be the trombone soloist.
00:37:33
Speaker
If you don't wake up on time and you don't go to rehearsal on time, you're messing with all of your buddies and you represent something bigger than yourself now. So please don't treat your contract as the end goal.
00:37:46
Speaker
You should be progressively getting better throughout the season. And the the big bow on top with the here's your candy bar is going to Indy. Not getting your contract.
00:38:01
Speaker
Very interesting. but I just can't imagine spending $6,000 on a summer and just trying to like float through that. Also, I think a lot of that, a lot of that you said, Amari, goes back to the, um, the hard work beat beats talent when talent gets s lazy. Yep. Hmm.
00:38:20
Speaker
I like when i and this might just be me, but when I was marching core, I was terrified to screw up. Like hair I still have nightmares about sleeping in and missing the dance block.
00:38:34
Speaker
ah Like when I marched 16 years ago. So ah it just blows my mind. But Amari, I think what you said goes back to a much bigger problem now with students being accountable and self-motivating. And like, that's a, that's a problem literally across the nation right now that I can go on and on about.
00:38:59
Speaker
And I hate to hear that it's seeping into drum corps. Yeah. why right it Mostly permeating from just like the putting, especially putting drum majors on pedestals. Like you they treat us like we're like superstars. We're human beings.
00:39:14
Speaker
Like we work with the core. We're representatives of the core. We are not this superstar Selena Gomez. whoever input name of an individual, like you don't, the, I guess the staircase of success that people like have in their head is that like you go to drum corps and the, like the core if in the name is going to get you to that gold medal, not the work that you're doing to that gold medal. And I think I want to applaud a lot of the the drum corps for posting online and having like their vets specifically
00:39:49
Speaker
coming up and talking about their experience. Because I think another thing about that is like people think everyone's experience is the exact same. And like, they're all going to have a good time and they're all going to be hydrated and they're all going to be in shape and they're all going to have their music memorized before spring training.
00:40:04
Speaker
which is not a realistic expectation to have. And I'm assuming it's the same and in high school still where like exactly what you said, you don't practice and you expect to have the music memorized and then you go to three hours of ensemble, but you don't know your drill.
00:40:20
Speaker
So you're just in there like, so who's ready for three hours of nothing? Yeah.
00:40:27
Speaker
Like it's it's, it's in everything exactly like you said. Yeah. Alicia, are you ready? Okay, mine might be a little controversial because I don't know how they do it in other parts of the nation, but um I've been judging recently and i just, what are we doing with these really elaborate, long march-ons to the field before you perform?
00:40:54
Speaker
I cannot... handle like I've watched a group march down a hill into the stadium split into four all the way around the edge and then march into the field from the four corners and then get set in their opening set to do their show and the whole time I'm sitting there like what this is taking forever why are we why are we doing this oh so you hate tradition okay I was about to I hate it but it
00:41:26
Speaker
One of favorite things I heard a band director say in Texas one time was the only tradition worth keeping is a tradition of excellence. And you only get two options in this band. You don't get opinions. You don't get blah, blah, blah. Yeah.
00:41:38
Speaker
Go that band director. I won't say who it is. I don't know if I'm allowed to quote him. ah He did. Whatever. um But the other thing he said, which I thought was crazy, this was just like another thing. He's like, the kids don't need to worry themselves about ah like shows, ah choices for shows and but blah, blah, blah. They hit, they get two choices of my band cheese or pepperoni.
00:41:57
Speaker
And I was like, Okay, well, you can't be black and white on everything. That's crazy. But the the excellence thing was was something that I thought was really cool. he was he He'd been a band director at that time for 30-something years, and he said that every year something when within his process changed.
00:42:14
Speaker
something within the procedures to get to his end goal change because he found a better way. And so he wasn't always stuck in like, well, we stand at set here because this, he was like, no, well now we're moving out to second, first position when we stand. and And now we're going to hold our hands higher up like some of those BOA groups do just because it's a better, like it, it's objectively, it just makes a better effect. So why not do that? That's an easy change.
00:42:37
Speaker
um And I think stuff like this, like that's the first thing that a judge sees when they come on. And if it's not in time, which how do you say I'm judging it? Yeah. weding it wrong audiences sound Yeah. Yeah.
00:42:50
Speaker
yeah The whole audience is judging you, you know, and you have to win them back in the first minute or you're not the whole five minutes, seven minutes you're on the field. They're just like, I saw the march on dude, you know? So like, that's just a huge risk.
00:43:03
Speaker
this is This is random, but you'll find it funny, um especially you, Amari. um A couple years ago, so we we don't do a march on or anything, but we always have a pre-show so that there's something happening while we're getting ready.
00:43:16
Speaker
um And a few years ago, I was creating the audio sound for our pre-show, and I just forgot to put in the drum major sound. Salute.
00:43:27
Speaker
Good. Like completely just forgot about it. Drum majors never noticed. We went the whole season without a salute. Now it's been three years and we have not had a drum major salute in the last three years.
00:43:38
Speaker
to that. no one has ever said anything. I'm going to take that. There are chorus that don't do it either. Cause it just like, uh, their, their whole thing is like the drum major is a part of the the group. So the drum major doesn't need an extra name. And we don't, we, we no longer have the drum majors. Is your core ready? Like that. i'm always ready We still do that.
00:44:00
Speaker
mean do you Really? Yeah.
Visual Presentation and Recent Successes
00:44:02
Speaker
And then he like, uh, like name to fame for like new drum majors. I always tell them like, if I forgive what his name is, but he pronounces your name wrong. Like if you look at Brant Crocker, yes, Brant Crocker gets everybody's name wrong. Everyone's name. Everybody.
00:44:16
Speaker
He's like a hundred years old. I love him. He's my favorite announcer, but i yeah he gets a lot of names wrong. I heard him say, um the okay, moving on. I was like, oh my God. Yeah.
00:44:27
Speaker
First time he pronounced my name, I had a middle name. So love it. and it's It's five letters, five letters. And I had a middle name. It was great. Oh my gosh. Well, to me what is your gushing go? Or your, what are we doing?
00:44:39
Speaker
My, what are we doing is why are we not paying attention to what direction we're putting the flag silks on the poles? Like there is a shape it curves so that, you know, circles, right?
00:44:54
Speaker
Color guard is, I always say color guard is just a series of circles. And why would you have, why would you have the tail going outside of the circle? Like, I'm just like, what it looks ugly. What an interesting interesting juxtaposition. We have one traditionalist. We have another.
00:45:16
Speaker
um um I'm thinking innovation here, you know, let's let's spin our flag upside down and make it make no sense with choreography. Make it look super ugly. Is it royalty flags? that like The little like small ones? there's No, no. It's really flags that just your color guard flags. like oh that Most of them now, they used to be like rectangular. like all flat All silks used to be rectangular. and But now we're fancy and we have shapes.
00:45:40
Speaker
So the shapes, you know, go with the curve and the flow of the equipment choreography. But ah we keep seeing flags that are put on upside down. And it's like, where's your awareness? ah where Where's your your leader? Where is your instructor? That's sounding like self-accountability. Why are you taping your flag? We need...
00:46:02
Speaker
we
00:46:05
Speaker
That's crazy. I will say we we talked in the chat like a couple weeks ago about that and I immediately looked at all of my schools and like stared at the flags. and there was There were a couple that I was like, how did that even how how did that even happen?
00:46:17
Speaker
You're a senior. what are you doing? Ricardo cracked me up in that group text. oh my God, yes. Because it's something about the tails doing its own choreography. Yeah. He was so livid about it. That is so funny.
00:46:33
Speaker
Wow.
00:46:35
Speaker
great job everyone set your equipment down got so just All right. We got that off our chest. Let's get into our gush and goes. Welcome to the gush and go. This is your chance to shout out something awesome happening in your life, marching arts related or not. Maybe you're excited about a performance, a student success, a big life event, or just something cool you want to brag about.
00:46:58
Speaker
No negativity here, just pure unfiltered hype. So who's got something to gush about? Uh, Amari, are you ready? Sure. Yeah. So I'm getting back into the, the audition world for the 2026 season. And I think,
00:47:11
Speaker
Something really big that I kind of relearned from when I was a rookie was expressing a lot of humility, asking for help, i'm learning a new conducting style, learning a new leadership style, understanding different drum corps cultures, understanding different drum corps procedures.
00:47:27
Speaker
And i it's actually really exciting, even though i was I was kind of scared to transition and go back into this like unknown ah loophole. But um I'm excited for audition season. I have high hopes.
00:47:39
Speaker
Yay. Well, we wish you the best of luck on all of that. Keep us updated. Thank you. Will do. Yeah.
00:47:46
Speaker
Joey, are you ready? I think so. I've got i've got a lot to gush and go about. and I spend so much time not on the podcast. I'm going to do it more. I'm going to do it more. ah You hear me first, I'm going to do it more. um My first one is i am now an independent rep for the BAC 8 to 5 horns, so if you need some affordable and honestly, probably the most well-made student and intermediate horns I think I've ever seen hit the market um with tons of replacement parts ready to go and like all the things you can think of of like oh, this is a new instrument brand. I have not heard of them that much, or I have heard of them, but do they do this much?
00:48:19
Speaker
Just listening to how they've built the horns, pretty incredible. So if you need some horns, BAC 8 to 5, I got you. The next thing I want to be all about is Jabberwockies are are per premiering their new show, Frequency, at the MGM Theater in Las Vegas, October 24th.
00:48:35
Speaker
VIP tickets are available. Go watch them. It's such so cool to see dance like that. on such a, I mean, just on a huge national stage. They're now doing like the F1 races and they just did stuff with Kai Sinat. Like, it's so incredible.
00:48:48
Speaker
Go. Go Jabberwockies. And then my last ah one, I'm just really excited for Bantober. It's going to be, I'm all over the place. I'm at Orlando this week, Delaware next week, Orlando again, go band and see me a with eight to five and BAC. So come check out some horns at NCMA.
00:49:04
Speaker
We'll also be at grand Nats and PASIC. And we go all the way through November and I'm at Midwest with, with them as well. It's just band, band, band, band's going to be the rest of my life this year. I'm so excited. Alicia, are you ready?
00:49:15
Speaker
and ahha are you ready I only have one, unlike Joey. um But i have ah I have had two judging gigs already this season.
00:49:28
Speaker
And at both of those shows, and they were kind of in the same region. I got to judge a group that has their very first marching band in 38 years. that They have just come back and they've got a ah band director that's awesome. His name's Jerry Butram, and he is bringing them back onto the field. And I believe they have 14 or 15, I cant can't remember right, in the program.
00:49:52
Speaker
um I got to judge them in Color Guard and then in Visual Ensemble. um And they're just, they're doing the thing. I mean, it's amazing. Most of them just started playing an instrument in August when they started.
00:50:03
Speaker
um And he had them on the field September 29th at their first competition. And they um they got excellent ratings. And um their second competition, they ended up taking second place, which was awesome for them. So I just i think it's cool. I'm excited. I know that um I judge the same show every year the last weekend of September.
00:50:22
Speaker
um And I know that I'll get to see them in future years and watch them grow. And I'm just excited about them. That's so awesome. Oh, I should shout out the school. The school is Monterey High School, and they are in Central Tennessee.
00:50:35
Speaker
Hey, I house there. That's a good school. did you really? Yes. That's so cool. Degrees of separation. Whitney, what about you? My gush and go.
00:50:47
Speaker
I don't know. I guess Bantober. Oh, i'm I'm also, I finally finished all my choreography gigs. um Oh, that deserves... Yeah, ah had I had four that I was doing outside of my own.
00:51:01
Speaker
um So, and, ah you know, id I'd come home and I'm running out of daylight because it's getting darker sooner. So, like, I have to get this done. And sometimes the last thing I wanted to do was do choreography in my backyard. But I got it all done. and now I just need to get paid from Half of them.
Listener Engagement and Podcast Interaction
00:51:20
Speaker
But i'm i'm I'm glad that part of the season is done and now we can just all clean and get consistent and Bantober. Yep.
00:51:31
Speaker
I feel you, Whitney. I just finished up my last client this week as well on Monday. And I was like, oh, just to be... I took on eight this year, which was way... I never ever... So many. Will take that many again because I just was so overwhelmed. That's so many. i felt like four was a lot. and Yeah. i think that I think I've got to start capping myself. like Maybe five is my max.
00:51:51
Speaker
you know And that includes my own. But Lordy, it was a lot.
00:51:58
Speaker
We did it. Hey, it's called gush and go not gush and stay. Let's go.
00:52:05
Speaker
All right. Thanks for a great rehearsal this week. Thank you everyone who was spending time with us today. Alicia, Joey, and Amari. Um, do you guys want to shout out any of your social medias or anything?
00:52:18
Speaker
Oh yeah. Mari, where can we find you? I'm going to go. home I got Instagram and Facebook. Don't ask me what my handles are. I'm not usually on my phone, but what you guys should go do is look at the silent command page and go take some lessons from my awesome buddies.
00:52:34
Speaker
Silent Command. What is Silent Command? This is an excellent opportunity. What do they do? What's the vibes there? It looks like they're educative in in what they happen, but like what what is it? Is it a mentoring program? that What do we not do? Okay, so we got... It's it's a bunch of different...
00:52:52
Speaker
different opportunities to learn different opportunities to to kind of get your feet wet into the marching arts. ah We have lessons, we have clinics, um you can go online and it it really kind of spreads it out better than I can ever explain it.
00:53:05
Speaker
ah But shout out to Jared, Gere and Charbel. ah They've basically made a realm where anything and everything marching band is on one website. Um, and you can get leadership clinics, you can get conducting clinics, you can get marching clinics, lessons.
00:53:21
Speaker
Uh, we have color guard members from the top drum cores, uh, and the top WGI's all the way up to drum majors. Uh, personally took lessons before I was a drum major, uh, and the top 12, I think at this point, almost every single top five head drum major works with a silent command.
00:53:39
Speaker
And we're also now partnering with DCI. um But ah i mean, yes, essentially, it's it's just like a, it's ah it's a tool that you use to get your feet wet into to the marching arts and to kind of experience different worlds that you could get into. I think we even have drill writing now.
00:53:59
Speaker
So yeah, check that out. And we have a podcast of our own, which is really cool. Sweet. um When I just looked it up the handle is S I command at S I command. If you want to go follow and I just followed you.
00:54:14
Speaker
Awesome. Well, if you have a question or a good topic to talk about, email us at on a water break podcast at gmail.com find us on social media and DM us. If you want to be on the show, we have a form you can fill out. If you want to be a guest, we love having people on the podcast. So check that out at our link in the bio on our social media.
00:54:33
Speaker
Or you could just take out your phone, make a video and send it to us. And maybe you'll see yourself on the podcast soon. One more thing. Don't forget, we have a YouTube channel now. So go and subscribe so you can see us all there.
00:54:44
Speaker
Also, before you close out of your podcast listening app, go subscribe, write us a review and share this with a friend. Follow us on social media at on a water break. and we'll see you at the next rehearsal on a water break.
00:54:59
Speaker
The On a Water Break podcast was produced by Jeremy Williams and Christine Reams. The intro and outro music was produced by Josh Lida. To learn more, visit LidaMusic.com.
00:55:11
Speaker
And until next time, thanks for tuning
00:55:18
Speaker
super