This episode of Band Room Therapy Podcast is all about color guard and why it matters to the full marching band experience. Mr. Ashley is joined by Dalton Stout, Mrs. Lavonne Pearson, and Jeremy Williams for a practical conversation on recruiting, inclusion, fundamentals, leadership, and building a healthy guard culture.
We discuss how to value color guard as artists and educators, not just as an add-on to the band. The conversation also digs into what band directors should know if they want their guard to succeed, especially when resources are limited.
Sponsers
Sight Reading Factory www.sightreadingfactory.com
RCP Drum Company www.RCPDrum.com
Better Sax https://geni.us/bettersaxclassicsax
00:00 - Welcome to The Art of the Guard
02:00 - Guest introductions and color guard backgrounds
03:50 - What to look for in color guard tryouts
07:10 - Why willingness and presence matter more than experience
08:38 - Recruiting middle school students through high school leaders
09:58 - How color guard builds leadership naturally
13:21 - Why visual design is central to marching band storytelling
15:20 - Color guard as storytellers across the whole show
17:28 - How guard helps casual audiences connect with the music
19:52 - How directors can make guard feel valued in rehearsals
22:37 - Respecting the work guard actually does on the field
24:53 - Why transitions and reset time must account for equipment
26:29 - Using set numbers and clear language to reduce stress
28:07 - Helping newcomers survive the first season
31:59 - Don’t compare yourself to upperclassmen
34:11 - Common challenges band directors may not see
36:36 - Finding experienced help through schools, videos, and alumni
38:24 - Communicating changes in closer, tempo, or stand tunes
42:25 - Why color guard learns slower than most band sections
44:47 - Preventing toxic culture and cliques in the guard
47:36 - The block system as a simple antidote to drama
52:47 - How to use a color guard instructor effectively when time is limited
56:39 - What to do when guard is with the band instead of separated
58:52 - Advice to your younger self: keep it simple
62:22 - Final thoughts on community, expertise, and asking for help
64:02 - Uniform, makeup, and shoe choices that support confidence
66:51 - Reach out for help and ask guard questions anytime
67:39 - Closing thoughts and episode wrap-up

California’s band world is anything but one-size-fits-all. Host Mr. Ashley sits down with Southern California director Jimmy “Jimm3rz” and Northern California director Jacqueline to unpack how music education, festivals, all-state auditions, marching band, and local leadership work across the state.
They compare the organizations that shape opportunities for students, the differences between Southern California field shows and Northern California parade culture, and how concert festivals, jazz, solo and ensemble events, and regional honor groups fit into the picture. The conversation also gets practical about mentorship, teacher retention, arts funding, credential transfers, and advice for directors considering a move to California.
Sponsors:
Sight Reading Factory www.Sightreadingfactory.com
Better Sax https://geni.us/bettersaxclassicsax
RCP Drum Company www.RCPDrum.com
00:31 – Meet the California band directors
01:02 – The organizations that govern California music events
03:17 – How California All-State auditions and ensembles work
05:20 – Where statewide conferences are held
06:55 – Regional events, festivals, and local honors bands
08:30 – Opportunities for rural and smaller programs
10:05 – Director conferences across the state
11:06 – Marching band and concert classifications
12:40 – Why Southern California’s marching scene is so distinct
15:26 – Northern California parade competition vs. Southern California field shows
17:00 – Judging, guard scoring, and marching-band awards
18:07 – Show-style bands, HBCU marching, and physical demands
19:10 – Is there a statewide marching-band champion?
20:42 – Indoor guard and drumline opportunities
24:28 – Concert festivals, ratings, and required repertoire
29:55 – Choosing festival music and avoiding novelty programming
32:03 – All-State audition material and honor-band pathways
33:40 – Northern California, the Bay Area, and regional identity
35:14 – All-State jazz, choir, orchestra, mariachi, and modern band
37:21 – Jazz festivals and solo-and-ensemble opportunities
40:02 – The California band-director community and mentorship
43:18 – Teacher retention, funding, and arts education
45:25 – Advice for new and out-of-state California directors
47:33 – Final thoughts on supporting music education

This episode is a practical conversation about how band directors choose repertoire that fits their students, their instrumentation, and their audience. Rick Schwartz is joined by Cooking With Valve Oil, aka Mr. Morgan, and Megan Vinther to break down how they balance educational value, enjoyment, and realistic rehearsal time when programming concert music.

In this episode, Rick Schwartz introduces the topic of repertoire selection as the ongoing challenge of finding music that is challenging, playable, and enjoyable for students.

Megan Vinther shares that her first question is always what her students need skill-wise and where she wants them to grow by the end of the year.

Mr. Morgan explains that having both middle school and high school bands gives him a long-view approach, letting him think about what the students have already done and where they are headed next.

Instrumentation comes up as a major factor, especially in schools with unusual or incomplete sections, and all three agree that arrangers and directors often have to rewrite or adapt parts.

Megan describes using score study and sight-reading to see whether a piece is actually balanced, especially when one section has more exposed or difficult material than the others.

Mr. Morgan and Rick both describe adding or rewriting parts for missing instruments, including horns, oboe, bassoon, percussion, and even piano.

The episode closes with a discussion of how important it is to keep buying new music, while also digging into older repertoire and library gems that may still be great teaching pieces.

Sponsors:

Sightreadingfactory.com

https://geni.us/bettersaxclassicsax

Thebandblueprint.net

Timestamps

00:00 - Opening gag and why choosing repertoire is so hard

04:51 - Sight-reading as a way to test difficulty and student interest

06:18 - Knowing your audience and what parents will respond to

09:04 - Does instrumentation influence repertoire choices

11:14 - Strong sections versus missing color instruments

13:15 - Rewriting parts for strong players and unusual personnel

16:11 - When and how often they rewrite or modify parts

18:28 - Rewriting concert band and orchestra music for combined concerts

21:21 - Rebuilding percussion parts when a section is too large or unbalanced

23:44 - Writing extra parts in orchestra and mixed ensemble settings

26:51 - Why Mr. Morgan opposes forced themes

29:44 - Holiday concerts, Krampus, and avoiding a dark seasonal vibe

32:38 - Using repertoire to reinforce tone, air, and fundamentals

34:21 - Event-based themes versus overly conceptual concert themes

36:39 - Limited Hanukkah repertoire and rotation of strong existing pieces

40:29 - Why a piece can be fun without being filler

43:50 - A program note project that lets students write about the music they love

46:20 - Why a whole concert cannot be all grade 4 and 5 music

50:28 - Warning signs that a piece is too easy

53:36 - Programming easier in the fall and building difficulty through the year

56:21 - Easy music can still teach tone, phrase, and intonation

58:12 - Planning concerts around what the ensemble needs to succeed

61:34 - Common mistakes: overprogramming and selfish programming

64:34 - Underprogramming and not trusting the ensemble enough

67:22 - Using concert preparation knowledge from marching season

68:51 - A student-requested Omar Thomas piece that grew into a strong performance

70:46 - Searching for new music by listening passively and building a purchase list

73:01 - New composers writing directly for current music education practice

76:03 - Do not buy everything just because it is on a list

78:18 - Final recommendations: what to program now

78:32 - Mr. Morgan’s picks: Sunbloom and The Summoning

79:31 - Megan’s picks: Country Club Stomp and Shine On Me

80:46 - Rick’s personal recommendation: Havana Knights and its sequel

81:39 - Closing thoughts on choosing music that students will enjoy

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