Sep 2018
OPINE: Visuals and the Military Band?
24/09/18 20:28
We’re in an era that appears to just hate on Military Bands, but we’re not.
Currently, the world of Pageantry Bands is in an era where visual spots are all the rage. I tend to call it Visuals At All Costs, or VAAC. VAAC comes in many forms. Do a plie? VAAC! Do an arm move? VAAC! Spin around? VAAC!
Essentially, the part of band that was exclusively saved for an auxiliary unit has made its way into the band proper. This is a mixed blessing, but it isn’t the end of the world of Military Bands. Far. From. It.
Believe it or not, Military Bands have a lot of VAAC going on. This inevitably leads to the question of, “What are VAAC elements for a Military Band?” Well…
I’ve only hit four examples, but you can kind of see where I’m heading with this. We have tools at our collective disposal to do VAAC, and it’s almost by default.
Currently, the world of Pageantry Bands is in an era where visual spots are all the rage. I tend to call it Visuals At All Costs, or VAAC. VAAC comes in many forms. Do a plie? VAAC! Do an arm move? VAAC! Spin around? VAAC!
Essentially, the part of band that was exclusively saved for an auxiliary unit has made its way into the band proper. This is a mixed blessing, but it isn’t the end of the world of Military Bands. Far. From. It.
Believe it or not, Military Bands have a lot of VAAC going on. This inevitably leads to the question of, “What are VAAC elements for a Military Band?” Well…
- Any snapped turn is automatically a visual element. Military-styled snapped turns when you face the direction of the movement is a HUGE visual element of the military bands. Pageantry Bands do not do this, so it becomes a visual element for us by default simply because we’re the only ones doing it.
- High Mark Time. In the world of the Pageantry Band, this move is persona non-grata. In our world, this is a lower body visual element and quite easy to accomplish within even the strictest limits of the style. Wahama High School in Mason, WV, is a group that has at least historically used a “chair step” high mark to add some visual flair to their show. Parkersburg High School in Parkersburg, WV, at least historically used a “pointed toe” high mark to add visual flair. Perhaps it’s time to hit some high mark time in your show for easy visual spots.
- Arm swings when marching and not playing. Have a spot where an entire section isn’t playing? Why not take a tip from the British Military? Their soldiers in dress uniform have a brand of marching that includes arm movements. Why not have a rifle corps do this when not spinning? Or maybe a section that isn’t playing can run into “parade mode,” sidearm their instrument, and add an arm move? Not only does it count as VAAC, it also helps keep time within the band.
- Upper body turns. We almost always follow the direction of the movement. However…what could happen if you had, say, a four-beat spot where the music just screams for a small upper body turn? Could you do it? Quickly hit that upper body turn for a few beats and then go right back into the drill spot. Honestly, I can’t see this one flying in Texas at all, as UIL judges tend to stay highly conservative on style integrity, but in other states it’s certainly a possibility or if your UIL region can allow some stretching of the limits (this isn’t likely!). Also, it wouldn’t heavily detract from the style at all. If you have any questions about this item, see this Youtube video and I hope it explains it all visually.
I’ve only hit four examples, but you can kind of see where I’m heading with this. We have tools at our collective disposal to do VAAC, and it’s almost by default.
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