If you have been hired to arrange a marching band at a school and it is your first time doing so, you may be a little nervous. If so, the two tips below should help you make the arrangement you choose successful. This way your band members, as well as the people watching the band, will all have a great time.
Choosing the Music
The first thing you need to do is to choose the music that you want to play. Loving the music and watching the band perform will give everyone a great time and they will always remember the show they saw. If the kids in the band like the music they are marching to this will likely make them want to do a better job.
Consider the difficulty level of the music when you choose it. You do not want something that is very easy for the kids as they will get bored. You also do not want the music to be too difficult for them or they will become frustrated. The quality of the music is something else to consider. All the music should be interesting and not just the main parts.
You may want some of the band members to do solos. If so, choose music that will allow them to do this. For example, music may have a section where only one instrument is played. This allows you to showcase their talents.
If you are having problems deciding what music you want, ask the kids to give their suggestions. This can help a lot. You could ask them to write down their choice on a piece of paper and place in a basket. Get out the papers and see if there is one type of music that was chosen over others.
Practicing
Once you have chosen the music and arranged the instruments it is time to practice. You will likely have to practice for many hours and days to get everything right. Just remember how heavy some instruments are so give the kids breaks often. It can help to work in a gym to help increase muscle strength for those band members that have to carry things like a tuba.
This could be part of your practice, such as going to the gym twice a week. Go to a gym that has an instructor as they can help the kids choose the right types of exercises.
Talk with a local marching band arranger and they can help you with everything.