This one time in drum corps... a reflection on teaching the Spirit of Atlanta in 2017 (Part 1)

A reflection on teaching the Spirit of Atlanta in 2017

2017 Spirit Brass Staff at DCI World Championships

1. I really do not like doing drum corps in Louisiana, but we found a way to get better anyway

I think one of the things drum corps teaches us is how to push through barriers or walls. During the summer, you are constantly challenged to push yourself mentally and physically harder than most people have pushed themselves in their regular lives. Lousiana presents many challenges that test the strength of your will, including, extreme heat, high humidity, terrible facilities, and fields which resemble mud pits or fire ant city. These were some of the toughest days of the summer, but the drum corps got better and was an important turning point for the corps during the summer. The Nacy SEALs have 40% rule: you are only at your 40% physical capacity when your mind wants to give up. You have more strength and capacity then you realize and drum corps help remind us of this fact. 

2. Reaffirmed the value of being creative in my daily teaching, i.e., theme and variations.

Efficiency in rehearsing is important in drum corps. While we do practice a lot, there is limited rehearsal time once we start to travel. Having a routine is essential to efficient rehearsal. Too much routine, however, and everything goes stale and we lose focus easily. An example: we had a series of standard long tones we did daily using our airspeed/dynamic system. To add variety and to challenge the members, we would split the hornline into two circles and then assign different movement directions. We would also have the members perform the long tones on different notes, using chords from the show, on breathing tubes, and at varied tempi. We kept one variable constant and changed others to keep the members focused and engaged. Finding ways to make the familiar new and engaging is not easy, but it is necessary for the growth of the members--Theme and Variations. 

3. Party blocks! A better name than a punch in the gut

A "Party Block" is a variation on the old tracking block, but just as challenging. In a party block, however, you are working primarily on foot-timing and sound control at a variety of tempi, directions, step-size and varied duration. We had three party blocks we utilized this summer. We did all blocks in a tempo progression of MM=128, 144, 168, 188--easy to challenging. Block 1 "Extended Tone" was timing and tone--Concert F (or any other note we needed), mezzo piano, in a forward slide and then a backward slide at 8x5 or 12x5. The softer dynamic was harder to control, which encouraged stillness to the upper body, quality breathing, and great lower body. The block would go until a drum major cut them off. The exercise could stop without notice. Eyes up-Feet in-time-Smooth sound! Block 2 was a graduated step-size block. Members went 8-5, 6-5, 5-5, 5-5, and then stopped. With only a few individualized instructions, the exercise was repeated. Staff was focused on sound and feet. Block 3 was a change of direction block, 4x4 drill box, and could be performed on a long tone or show chord. The focus was on controlling the sound and maintaining feet through direction changes. 15 minutes a day made a huge impact on the strength and performance quality of the members. NOTE: Not recommended on a Show Day. It will gas them!


4. If you are focused on avoiding errors, you cannot perform at your best!

In the book, Inner Game of Music, Barry Green discusses the idea of Self 1 (That noisy critic inside our head) and Self 2 (our potential). To perform at a truly high level and maximize your potential, Self 1 needs to be quiet in order for Self 2 to flourish. If you are focused on avoiding errors, you are naturally hesitant, withdrawn, untrusting, and, on some level, fearful. Great performances require confidence, commitment, trust, passion, and hyper-awareness that will allow for a Flow State to occur. Unfortunately, the way we often teach, we feed the members so much information that the noisy critic (Self 1) is on full blast.  In this situation, Self 2 does not have a chance. Finding what they are doing right and encouraging risk-taking and passionate performances is essential to high-quality performances. How we react to mistakes and the strengths of the performances determines who wins the battle between Self 1 and Self 2. Are you teaching performances or error-avoidance? 

5. Breathing tubes with resistance valves. Truly a magic wand

 Our breathing system has been used for a long time and numerous corps utilize this system proven system for training brass performers for outdoor performance. This year, however, we have added training our breathing system using PVC couplings with a Ball Valve and it was a game-changer for us. The balloons are a great tool for overtraining through the resistance of the balloons, providing an objective visual reference to our lung capacity. This season we added the breathing tubes to our instructional toolbox. The results were amazing. We did many of the same exercises on the tubes and there were many of the same benefits of overtraining as the balloons, however, the tubes are a great aural reference. The combination of the two tools was a powerful boost to the hornline. A few reps on the tubes and it was like we had been plugged into an amplifier. We experimented a lot of the resistance of the tubes and we did some work with a pseudo-embouchure and some with the lips around the tube. Both approaches had benefits. The best thing about the tubes is it only costs $2.00 for a tool that was truly magical. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

6. Learning plateaus and how to help members push through one.

Spirit of Atlanta in the tunnel at San Antonio

We have all experienced one in our own playing and we have seen it in our students. The group/individual hits a proverbial wall and improvement stops or dramatically slows down. What was working is all of sudden ineffective. Morale dips. Frustration begins to escalate. We try harder, but still no growth. Freddy sat our staff down and talked to us about "learning plateaus" and how to push through one. We hit one hard in mid-July--the dog days of drum corps--and it was in Texas to boot, which is hot, miserable and major performances around the corner. As Freddy explained, the plateau is a natural part of learning, so do not get upset, but get excited that we are ready for a leap forward. What was working helped get you to that plateau, but new strategies are required to get you over the wall. An essential part of the reduction in growth occurs from focusing on what is not working. This process of chasing mistakes creates a negative mindset and narrows our focus on what we are not doing to the exclusion of what we are doing. The narrow focus on mistakes also shuts down the needed creativity to find new solutions. The negativity also drains both mental and physical energy. The solution? Focus completely on what is going well and renew your commitment to your fundamentals. It sounds like a simple solution, but it was as if the clouds parted and the sun returned over the horizon. The renewed energy helps us to refocus and begin to think of new strategies to tackle our challenges. We were able to begin to set new goals, plan new strategies, and the positive energy helped us experience a major breakthrough at an important time. The positive cycle began to spin in a new direction. On to the next plateau!
Spending time reflecting on what worked and did not work is an essential part of growing as an educator. I hope some of these thoughts are helpful to you in your educational journey as a teacher and a performer. I decided to split this blog post into two parts. Part 2 is coming soon. 

Spirit of Atlanta in Royce, Texas. Boy was it hot!