Think you can come up with an entertaining show? Well, here's a chance to prove it...

I'm starting to look ahead to the winter season and need to come up with a show for the school I instruct. I've got a couple possibilities in mind, but I'm not committed to anything yet. If you can come up with something I like, we may just play it. I might even list your name under our staff in the show programs. (I'll probably give you a sarcastic job title, though.)

So here are the details:

• Likely instrumentation: 3-4 snares, 2 tenors, 5 basses, synth, bass guitar, 2 marimbas (3.5 & 4 octave), 1 vibe, 1 xylo, 1 glock, and an auxiliary player. As of now, we don't have any amplification equipment other than the synth and bass guitar amps.
• It's a very inexperienced group. There are some players with potential, but the school is new to the competitive scene.
• We'll compete in our local winter circuit's standstill division. Since it's a standstill performance, there's no visual caption, but there is a GE/Artistry caption based on WGI-style sheets. Movement and props can be used for effect. (The way some corps break from rehearsal arcs to perform body movement in the lot would fit right in.)
• We're not flat broke, but we're far from rich. Since we need to travel pretty far to get to competitions, most of our budget's probably going into the gas tank. Bonus points for music that's in the public domain, or at least able to be licensed for a reasonable fee. Thousand-dollar pre-written shows like you'd get from msconcepts.com are out of the question.

So that's your mission, should you choose to accept it. If you were in my shoes, what music might you choose?

Ive got nothing off the top of my head, but ill PM you in a few days with a couple ideas, I'm totally on board.

Are asking for people to like write a show or for people to help you find some really cheap music yall could play?

hey, my friend sent me a link to this cause im always making litte WGI like percussion songs. this is somthing im totally interested in. im leavnig for china in about an hour and a half 2 hours (8:00 7/28) if you can get your email to me before that, i can send you some stuff and if you like it, then i'll try and help you out.
if you dont get this in time. check out
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=331841872

and look for the song called "supHARepic" its not my best one... but its the only one i have uploaded on that website. if you can email in the time before i leave my email is
sfsportsfan15@yahoo.com
hope to hear from you!

I'm just looking for possible show ideas. I've got a few in my head, but figured I'd ask around in case someone comes up with something that makes me think, "I'd wanna play THAT!"

I can do the arranging, so I'm really not looking to buy someone else's arrangements. I'm not completely against using pre-fab stuff if written well, but I prefer original arrangements because I'll know nobody else is going to be playing it.

As for being cheap... Even if I do the arranging, that doesn't necessarily mean the music is free. Unless it's an original composition or in the public domain, there are still licensing fees to worry about. Licensing for the music doesn't have to be dirt cheap, but can't be prohibitively expensive.



Thanks! I sent you an email message and I'll check out your stuff.

yo just a thought for a theme

Houdini...(sp?)

might be difficult to design but in the end i think it would be cool to watch

That's exactly the kind of suggestion I'm looking for. Give me a show theme and/or music ideas!

A Houdini show sounds like a great idea, but it might be too much for us to tackle visually. I'll definitely give it some thought, though! (Anyone have any staging or visual ideas that could help make it work?)

my band director said his first show as a director was Phantom of the Opera. he said they made someone like...disappear. no idea how they did it but..figured u could use something of this effect

Sounds like your director was watching SCV in the late '80s. They did Phantom of the Opera, complete with the disappearing act.

Coming up with an indoor concept shouldnt be tough.

Write down different words, or ideas on a sheet of paper.

ex: Lightning, Pinball, the 80's, Indiana Jones....etc

See if any can be done on the floor and add supporting ideas to it. After that...think about the music you'd like to use. I don't think you'll be getting "good" ideas on a forum....maybe through PM but not publicly. Concepts and Ideas get stolen very easy.