Becoming a Better
Performer in the Indoor Percussion Activity by Nate Noble
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Artist
Per-form-ance - A deed; feat;
hence, a public entertainment or exhibition of skill.
As I have witnessed indoor percussion develop and grow over
the last few years, I know now that it’s the most difficult of
all of the pageantry arts. In today’s indoor world, an
individual must:
1. Be conscious of what he or she is playing with proper
technique.
2. Have the ability to execute drill and body visuals and
move props as a part of their show.
3. Play within the ensemble with proper and timing, balance
and blend, all without any pulse or drum major.
In 2004, percussionists must be able to execute these
simultaneous responsibilities to be successful at any level.
It’s fair to say that today’s members are not only
percussionists but also multifaceted performers, who not
unlike Broadway cast members, must be able to communicate to
their audience and judges alike.
This article is intended to give you some techniques and ideas
that will enable you to perform better in front of judges and
audiences alike. I will discuss specifically about non-playing
issues that today’s percussionist needs to deal with during an
IPA season. I stress that my ideas may not be ones that your
percussion instructor or band director uses, but these are
techniques that I use with my students, so take from this what
you will.
As a young performer, you need to make sure you take care of
your equipment and uniform. I know you’ve probably heard this
a million times from your instructor, but they wouldn’t stress
it so much if it weren’t important! YOU, not anyone else, must
be in charge of your own equipment. Before a show, you must be
in charge of cleaning your percussion instrument. We all know
how much dust accumulates on bass drum rims in November and
December, so put a shine on them.
This might sound crazy, but make sure to take your sticks and
mallets with you or at least know their exact location before
you get to a show. I can’t tell you how many times that
members of my ensembles and of others have had to scramble to
find a pair of sticks or mallets at a show because someone
forgot to load them. So save your instructors from any more
unwanted gray hair and take care of your own implements.
Now when it comes to rehearsing, you need to ask yourself this
question: What do I look like when I rehearse and where should
I be looking when rehearsing? I stress to my students that
when you are warming up, you need to get your eyes up and off
of the ground and adjust your head so that your chin is up and
your head is above parallel about 45 degrees. Why do I stress
this? The answer is simple, you need to remember that you are
performing to judges and you need to understand where they are
located. IPA music judges are usually located 8 to 12 rows up
from the floor and GE and visual judges are located at the top
of the bleachers. These judges are looking for performers to
exude confidence when they doing their show. A percussionist
who is looking down or even sometimes looking straight ahead
has the look of someone who is unconfident to a judge. ( Even
when you might be!) You must remember, indoor is different
than fall marching band. The judges are closer and you don’t
have a shako to hide your face, which makes this so very
important!
When rehearsing, I tell my students to focus on a spot high on
the gym wall that would representative of where a judge might
sit. In doing this, your face and eyes are trained to stay up
and focused on a location where the judge would be. Also, it’s
common knowledge that many of our top groups: Avon, New
Palestine, use their faces to convey emotion throughout their
shows. It can be a useful tool in regards to general effect.
When a judge sees you smile or convey surprise or even just
grooving out during a jamming part, you in turn are bringing a
judge into what you are doing. This affects them, thusly
affecting your group’s score in a positive way!
Many marching ensembles now a days have props in their shows.
Props help tell a story or provide an appropriate background
to help convey the message of a show. Whether a prop moves or
is stationary, always remember that you are still a visual
focus until you go behind one. A prominent visual judge in our
activity once told me that this is one his biggest pet peeves.
You need to understand that you are still a performing member
until your whole body is totally behind a prop. How many times
have you seen shows where participants are not totally behind
a prop or worse yet, not knowing that they aren’t behind a
prop and are just hanging out on the sides of the tarp?
Through rehearsal and awareness of where you should be on the
on the floor, this problem can be solved.
Along the same lines, make sure that when you transition from
the floor to behind a prop that you are always performing.
Never look hurried, make sure your feet are in time, and if
you are putting your equipment down, do it with a minimal
amount of sound. If you think judges (especially visual!!!)
are just fixed on what is happening on the front part of the
floor, you are wrong. They’re trained to watch the big
picture, which includes how you transition from the front
stage to behind a stationary or moving prop.
As a performer in an ensemble, make sure you set goals for
yourself. Have an understanding of what you want to accomplish
in a particular season. Make sure to strive to perfect your
show to the best of your abilities. Make every repetition that
you do better than the last one, and try to fix one mistake
from the previous run. Once you’ve perfected something retain
it and move on to something else.
Being a part of a percussion ensemble is special, so cherish
the time that you are in one. Understand that you are
rehearsing and performing to make yourself and your ensemble
better. Push yourself and your colleagues and listen to your
instructors, they are there to help you grow as percussionists
and young adults. And finally remember, that it’s not about
how you place, it’s about the journey to that point and the
chance to perform in front of friends and family and
spectators who truly understand and appreciate what you do!
Good Luck this upcoming IPA season and see you soon!
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