My pits have typically done very few visuals. Pit visuals often come across as really cheesy. Or even worse, they look like grade school kids playing around and distracting from the performance.

Unless an opportunity for an appropriate visual is there in the music, all I ask of the pit members visually is to have good stage presence: look confident and like you're enjoying yourself.

The jumping thing is the only visual i thin that were doing, and i think that it really brings to mind the mood that that part of the music is, very bright, vibrant, fast-paced. We were considering the wave with our mallets, but that doesnt really go along with the music.

Our Percussion program's policy on Front Ensemble visuals goes something like this: Never.

Or, to put it in more detail, the Orchestral Percussion section should be like any Pit Orchestra, Heard but not Seen. The Orchestral section is there to compliment what is going on behind them. They are a musical version of the Colorguard, while the Colorguard provides visual accompaniment, the Orchestral section provides musical accompaniment.

The only time we consider visuals is during the indoor season, which provides a lot more flexibility in what we can do. But even then, we only do what's tasteful, and if there's no tasteful way to add something in to the show, we don't do it.

But that's just our philosophy on the issue.

I'm the Pit Captain at my school, and have been for three years. All of these we have been complimented on our 'showmanship' from nearly every percussion judge. We do visuals whenever we don't play... for some reason we just make them up while horsing around in practice. For instance: we do the first part of the macarena (is that how it's spelled? ) to the accented beats by tubas and marching bases. Another good one is when we dance/spin our mallets to the beat on a swing section of our show. It actually fits in nicely, beleive it or not. I don't think that pit should be heard and not seen, I think it should be both.

There's a big difference between visuals and showmanship. Showmanship = good. Visuals = cheese.

Playing and LOOKING confident, some eye contact amongst the pit (for cues or enjoying a moment) are the only visuals you need.

My pit had a few visuals this year. One part, we all jump on the downbeats while we play. It was interesting...

I still think pit visuals are really unnessasary. A judge would like to see some crazy mallet playing any day over a stupid visual. If it were up to me the only visuals pits would do is emoting the music. havin fun with it

I'll agree with this for marching pit too, the visuals prominently on the field, not hidden in the pit.

But that's just my two cents.