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🚨 Quick Sip Alert: WGI Circuit Symposium Updates Straight from Bart Woodley | Bonus Episode
123 Plays1 day ago
We’re back with a Quick Sip from the 2025 WGI Circuit Symposium! Ricardo Robinson-Shinall chats with WGI’s Director of Operations, Bart Woodley, about circuit safety, leadership, and how WGI is uniting the marching arts in 2025 and beyond.
🧠 Episode Summary
We’re on the ground at the WGI Circuit Symposium, and Ricardo is bringing you a no-chairs-needed Quick Sip with the one and only Bart Woodley. In this short-form bonus episode, they dive into key takeaways from the symposium: from safety protocols and post-COVID updates to the launch of WGI’s Participant Protection Program.
Whether you’re a circuit director, instructor, or just a curious band kid — this episode gives a rare behind-the-scenes peek at how WGI is supporting over 150,000 performers across the country. It’s fast, focused, and full of insights.
💡 Want more from the Circuit Symposium? Our extended bonus conversation with circuit leaders drops soon! Until then, catch all our bonus content here: ▶️ OAWB Bonus Episodes Playlist
👥 Featured Guests
- Bart Woodley — Director of Operations, WGI Sport of the ArtsInstagram: @bartwoodley
- Ricardo Robinson-Shinall — Host, On A Water Break PodcastInstagram: @ricardorrobinson
🔗 Quick Links
- WGI Website: https://www.wgi.org
- Learn more about WGI’s Participant Protection Program (search “Participant Protection” at wgi.org)
📢 Follow On A Water Break
📸 Instagram: @onawaterbreak📘 Facebook: On A Water Break Podcast🌐 Website: www.onawaterbreak.com🎧 Listen on: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
🏷️ Hashtags
#OnAWaterBreak #WGI2025 #BartWoodley #RicardoRobinsonShinall #MarchingArts #Drumline #WinterGuard #WGISymposium #PageantryArts #BandLife #ColorGuard #Percussion #WGIHistory #QuickSip
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey guys, it's Ricardo Robinson-Chanal with On A Water Break, and I am here with the man, the myth, the legend, the one and only, Mark Woodley. Everyone, bring it in.
00:00:11
Speaker
It's time for water break....only,
Introduction & Tech Blog Segment
00:00:15
Speaker
Mark Woodley from WGI, who is the WGI Director of Operations, right? You got it. And we are here at the WGI Circuit Symposium right now.
00:00:25
Speaker
Mark, tell us a little bit about the Circuit Symposium. Well, it's since COVID, we have not had this meeting. but This meeting is a direct ah gathering of all the admin for all of the circuits across the country.
00:00:41
Speaker
As WGI the overarching umbrella, obviously on a local level, there's millions more groups, right? yeah And so we try to bring this team of admin together so that they can share their knowledge.
00:00:55
Speaker
We can tell them some of the things and the projects we have coming up. and we can all get better at what we're doing. Yeah. So some of the topics this weekend that we discussed, um one of the biggest ones was safety andsec security hundred percent and as a circuit partner and dealing with what happened last year with the Texas school shooting during a Winter Guard competition, I noticed that WGI is taking a lot of steps and precautions to make sure that people understand this.
00:01:21
Speaker
What is happening in the office level right now? Some of some of the initiatives that you
Jeremy's Tech Topics
00:01:26
Speaker
guys are doing at WGI headquarters to make sure that circuits and performances are safe.
00:01:32
Speaker
Yeah, no, absolutely. It is a number one concern for us, of course. And so we have been re-examining all of our policies with our event partners, the people who are actually hosting the shows for us, and on a circuit level they have the same thing, and looking at asking them the right questions ahead of time of what is the plan?
00:01:56
Speaker
what Are there going to be ah a resource officer available, or is there police? Do you have a clear bag policy? There's lots of steps that you see in Arena events that can apply to our events as well.
00:02:10
Speaker
um So ah in our office, it's been a constant conversation of yeah are these going to be requirements suggestions right what can what's affordable where are we and we were thrilled to hear that at this point with a ah small survey sample but there was 89 of the shows that we would be hosting that did have something in place a resource officer or on security on site so some of the schools are taking care of that for all of us and then it's a challenge for if that school doesn't have that policy
00:02:45
Speaker
oh how can the circuit come in WGI come in and have policy that will protect everyone at that event. And speaking of protection, another one of the big topics was the Participant Protection Program.
00:03:00
Speaker
Did say that right? The PPP. You got it. Repeat.
Constructive Critique
00:03:03
Speaker
With Dr. Will Frankenberger. That's right. um Huge initiative taken on by WGI for the safety of both the performers and instructors, staff, all of those things.
00:03:12
Speaker
um Can you highlight some of those things that we talked about with that? he He just explained that essentially we're creating our own curriculum at this point.
00:03:23
Speaker
um The safe sport classes that we did were awesome, but we have some unique challenges within the marching arts that maybe don't fit into that model.
00:03:34
Speaker
So we felt it would be better education if we could help create that ourselves. yeah So there will be a four step classes.
00:03:45
Speaker
And right now we've rolled out the very first class. That's the requirement that groups participating with WGI i have um as a replacement to that safe sport model. And then he also has done amazing work with some of the resources that he has.
00:04:00
Speaker
He's made independent contractor contracts that like the independent groups can use with STAVs. He's got best practice guides. He has really just taken it to heart and done an outstanding job to get our community the resources that we need to be better at this and be more educated.
00:04:19
Speaker
I did take a look yesterday at some of those um best practices. And they're short, sweet, colorful little documents that work everywhere for everything. So I'm hoping that instructors really get on the bandwagon and start using those.
00:04:33
Speaker
like um Lastly, one of the things that I thought was the most interesting was a round table discussion that the circuits did last night. And coming from a large circuit in Florida, we have several circuits that we're calling boutique circuits now because they are smaller and they deal with a smaller number of people.
00:04:51
Speaker
We noticed that different circuits have different challenges. Some you know struggle in one area, others struggle in others. um WGI as a unifying body for all of that.
00:05:02
Speaker
How um is the organization making sure that all of the circuit's needs are being met? Yes. I know that's a big question. Well, yeah, that is a loaded question.
00:05:13
Speaker
no and We can't make sure every need is met, but we do feel it our is our responsibility to provide as much information as possible. And so having an event like this is one of those steps because we can sometimes speak on a level that might not work for a like a circuit that has 15 groups that want to participate in it.
00:05:34
Speaker
You know, they they're the the challenges are just so great. So you're 100% correct that the round tables is one of the best parts of this because they can find people that are their same size and and be like, oh my gosh, I have to talk to you about how are you doing this, this, and this.
00:05:49
Speaker
And and ah collectively, all All of our knowledge coming together makes everybody better and providing better experiences for all the groups. Yeah, and I will say that last night, those conversations continued after the meeting was officially over into the bar, and we all continued having those discussions over the drinks, which was a whole lot more fun.
00:06:09
Speaker
So... Bart, do this. Thanks for coming. That's great. Oh yeah, no. we Yeah, we're not done. The best part. So and we do this thing with our guests. um It's a tradition with On a Water Break, and it's called What Are We Doing? It's where you get to rant on something in the pageantry arts world that we should be doing, or why are we still doing this, whatever. So i'm going to ask you the age-old question, what are we doing?
00:06:34
Speaker
This was a challenge, but it came to me quickly. Just from our perspective, i would I would give a rant of what are we doing not reading the packet.
00:06:46
Speaker
That's the hardest. And I say this with you know grace and humility, I suppose. But... We, as has a circuit, as a as an organization, we will try to provide you with as much info as possible.
00:07:04
Speaker
and And often we find that the instructors just aren't reading the stuff. Yeah. and It is in there. It is in there. And I know it's a lot.
00:07:15
Speaker
I know it's a lot. Take look and a book. And it's easy to say, well, did you read the packet? And I kind of hate that because we want to be more customer service oriented than that. But it also is like you can save yourself a lot of headaches.
00:07:28
Speaker
if it's It's a lot. I get it. But check it out. And lastly, Bart, what are you gushing and going about right now? I'm gushing and going. I'm
Rant Segment on Marching Arts
00:07:40
Speaker
gushing and going about we estimated that this great gathering of circuits is servicing 154,000 young performers. a huge number. It's huge.
00:07:56
Speaker
It's absolutely huge. And I think that's just a testament to everyone's determination to continue post-COVID to make sure that these opportunities are available for the youth.
00:08:09
Speaker
Yeah. And it's so important. It's changed so many lives. We know about it. I'm with you. I'm one of those people. And it's just growing and growing at the times when we need it the most.
00:08:20
Speaker
Yeah. Woohoo. Let's go. Well, Bart, thank you so much for joining me today. You guys check out, we are going to do a special bonus episode of on a water break with some of the circuit leadership that was here at the meeting this week. And we're just going to talk about some of the things that were talked about in this meeting. So we hope that you join us on a water break.