How many shows are you designing?

Chas Myers · Post by **Chas Myers** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 7:03 pm

I know that alot of drill designers like me are using this forum, so, how many shows are you designing this season? Any great musical selections? I have seven shows to design. :? I have four done and three to go. One of my clients picked a nautical theme this year. They have a beautiful chorale of "Eternal Father, Strong to Save." Another client picked a Latin ballroom rhythms show. Really cool music. Another group is doing a show on the color blue, including a Blue Man group jam. They're building their own drumbone. Two of my clients picked exactly the same music. This should be interesting, since they attend some of the same competitions.

What are the rest of you designing this year?

Tsar Nikk · Post by **Tsar Nikk** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 7:11 am

I'm designing five...four high schools and one college band.

The music is solid, but nothing spectacular. One school did a Russian themed show with probably one of the worst arrangements of "Russian Christmas Music" I've ever seen...and they used it as a closer (I guess that after SCV 1987, I have always thought of that piece as an opener). Another did a show with Carmina Burana as the opener, and Appalachian Spring as the closer, with Jupiter in the middle...and in the closer, the arranger attempts to use all three main themes at the same time in the "climax." I'm not sold on that idea, guess I'll have to hear it and see how they do with it.

The college band is doing a ton of Broadway tunes...easy stuff to write drill for.

So...for anyone reading this...do your clients ask you to keep all the sections together all the time, or do you have some freedom to move some instruments apart in order to get the right number for geometrical shapes (i.e., moving one flute into a trumpet wedge to fill out the wedge, while the flutes travel to the other side of the field).

I have both types of directors, and am wondering how the rest of you fare as far as this is concerned.

Salas · Post by **Salas** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:18 pm

I am designing three.

One school is doing music from "Cirque du Soleil", one is doing "Labyrinth" by Key Poulan, and the other is doing "Minimally Speaking by Richard Saucedo.

For school 1, I have to keep them in front of the back hash and in between the 25's.

For school 2, I have the freedom to put them wherever.

For school 3, I have to keep them in front of the back hash and in between the 20's.

When it comes to keeping the sections together, I usually mix the Clarinets & Flutes since their parts are usually the same and I put the Low Reed instruments with the Low Brass.

cavalier81 · Post by **cavalier81** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 2:42 pm

This year I've designed 15 high school band shows,
1 drum corps show, 8 winter guard shows.
Plus a full time job,
and wife and kids.

ouch!! not much sleep.

EODrillDesigner98 · Post by **EODrillDesigner98** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 1:55 am

This past fall I only did one school.

George · Post by **George** » Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:02 pm

I'm currently at 6 - all high schools. I'm still waiting on one school, so it might be 7.

I just realized this thread was started last year. ha! I didn't really notice until just now.

EODrillDesigner98 · Post by **EODrillDesigner98** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 2:30 am

George wrote:I'm currently at 6 - all high schools. I'm still waiting on one school, so it might be 7.

I just realized this thread was started last year. ha! I didn't really notice until just now.

Hey! George

Dont feel too bad. I didnt even know that it was a old topic either.

Chas Myers · Post by **Chas Myers** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 1:32 pm

Okay, we can pick up where we left off last year. This year I have 6 shows to design. The most interesting one is a show on the events of 1968. We've been planning this show for a year, so I was a bit surprised when I found on corpsreps.com that a DCA corps is also doing a show on 1968. Mostly different music.

I also have a show on "Mountainscapes" (Thankfully nothing from the Sound of Music) "Connected By the Cape" (all spanish music) a classical show and a show about bugs, tentative title is "Entomology 101." So what intersting show concepts do any of the rest of you have?

cavalier81 · Post by **cavalier81** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 9:40 pm

Ok, This year, 15 high schools (three completed)
9 winter guards
1 winter drum line

not much sleep this time of year

George · Post by **George** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:43 am

cavalier81 wrote:Ok, This year, 15 high schools (three completed)
9 winter guards
1 winter drum line

not much sleep this time of year

nice! maybe someday I'll get there... not that more is better... just that I'm working to be a full-time designer and I hope to get more gigs in the future.

But this year I have 10 high schools... 7 of them are competitive and 3 are non-competitive - one band I'm writing two shows, so that's 11 total shows for me.

And speaking of no sleep... it's 3:45am and I'm just taking a quick snack break before I wrap up an opener I've been working on all day. Insomniacs unite!

cavalier81 · Post by **cavalier81** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:03 pm

George wrote:
cavalier81 wrote:Ok, This year, 15 high schools (three completed)
9 winter guards
1 winter drum line

not much sleep this time of year
nice! maybe someday I'll get there... not that more is better... just that I'm working to be a full-time designer and I hope to get more gigs in the future.

But this year I have 10 high schools... 7 of them are competitive and 3 are non-competitive - one band I'm writing two shows, so that's 11 total shows for me.

And speaking of no sleep... it's 3:45am and I'm just taking a quick snack break before I wrap up an opener I've been working on all day. Insomniacs unite!

3:45 am...Yes, that's my life too. I find I do my best writing in the wee hours of the morning. I'll set my alarm for around 12:30 am, write until it's time to get ready for work, Put my 8 hours in. come home say hi the the wife and kids then back into my office for more writing.
But... I love it!!

Tsar Nikk · Post by **Tsar Nikk** » Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:30 pm

9 high school, 1 university.

5 of the high schools are competitive, the rest...not so much.

I've got everyone's opener done (except the university, which has not sent me materials yet).

Every couple of days I get stuck on a page and that is frustrating, but...them's the breaks, it happens.

Ryan H. Turner · Post by **Ryan H. Turner** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:51 am

Finally got logged into this group...wooooooooo...how many schools this season?

9 high schools, all competitive, all southern California. I, like my Cavalier81 friend to the south, have a family, and a full time career. I write because I LOVE writing (but not necessarily love some of the hassles, usually band director related), and I too have some very FUNKY hours, brought to you by MONSTER ENERGY DRINKS--The Official Drink of Ryan H. Turner Show Design Productions.

What's funny about this particular season is that even after having 9 bands, I still got THREE MORE PHONE CALLS of last minute "OMG--WTF?" related comments from directors who didn't have a designer, or in one case, the "designer just flaked on me". I think after doing this for 20+ years I can readily say that I know my limit. And 9 is plenty. Nice supplement to the income. Great creative outlet. Fun to put stuff together. But to do it full time....

........did you hear that screeching sound? Yeah, that was me putting on the brakes. The closest I ever came to full time and tasting of that lifestyle was about 8 years ago, and I designed 16 shows for bands in 4 different states (BY HAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!). These were 16 competitive bands, a few of which were ULTRA competitive. And I thought to myself, "Self...you'ze nutz!!!" Of course, had I NOT had a career on TOP of those 16 bands, and had I been a good boy and been fully Pyware compliant back then, I might have sung a different tune. But YIKES...

cavalier81 · Post by **cavalier81** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 6:48 pm

Ryan,
Welcome aboard!!
Just let's keep your post to 1000 words or less. I don't have the time to read your novels.
Just kiiding. Hope all is going good.
It's diet rock star for me!!!

R

Ryan H. Turner · Post by **Ryan H. Turner** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:11 pm

I know I know...I'm awfully wordy aren't I? Sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrry...

Back to my low-carb Monsters!!!

jnekamp · Post by **jnekamp** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 6:26 pm

Just one show for me this year--arnt I the lucky one! Just finished because we were waiting for the pit book to be finished---damn drummers, always moving to a different beat!

Yes Ryan, you are bit crazy but its all good!

Jay Kamp

johnsmith · Post by **johnsmith** » Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:27 pm

Hi nice discussion This year i designing 15 high schools but 10 completed and
9 winter guards , 1 winter drum line but i am nothing stop work more and more.

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How many shows are you designing?

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Re: How many shows are you designing?