I’m in need of some advice/help as I attempt to start an independent team through my university. I’m the color guard coach for the small university I attend and I’m trying to combine with our Drumline to enter this season as an independent for competition. The Drumline instructor and I are both seniors and music majors trying to balance a heavy workload and prep our senior recitals😂. I’m not sure where to start and what I’ll need.

We’re planning on holding auditions and inviting our local high school students to join us. Right now our plan is to accept students age 16-22. We’ll register in the open class division? A class?

I’m wondering what we’ll need. I have plenty of poles, rifles, sabers, and silks. So I’m curious what all the essentials are.

Do we need a floor? Where can I get one? Best places for costumes? (Bandshoppe and McCormicks haven’t been the easiest to work with) How important are props? Solutions for finding/building/storing them.

I would appreciate any and all help you can give me. Thanks!!

Im desperate to have a video of the performance that took my team in high school to finals in 2017!!! Ive looked everywhere I can think of and just can’t find it but theres no way that the videos have just vanished😭 It was 2017, we got 16th in scholastic A finals at Wgi champs. The name of the show is Illusory light from Allen high school. Please help me friends!!!

Personally love all of their stuff, but 2019 “Cede” and 2022 “Here” stand out to me as I feel I personally connect to them the most..

Bonus question: Why do you think it seems that people either really love their style (like myself) or could take it or leave it ?

Hey all, I’m a snare drummer competing for my second year in open class WGI this year, and I was curious if anyone is familiar with any resources online or on YouTube that are like several day/week dance training programs with content along the lines of the sorts of movement and dance we typically do in WGI.

I’m mostly finding classic ballet and yoga classes which I’m sure would help and probably does have stuff we do in WGI, just curious if there’s something out there where the content overlaps with WGI more. Thanks

Based on the title, I am noticing a big change in the amount of WGI Percussion Independent ensembles in the Jacksonville, FL area up through Savannah, Georgia.

The only group now in Jacksonville is Frontier Percussion (which is a brand new group for 2025). Atlas Percussion & Conflux Percussion went inactive (Conflux disappeared all of the sudden), forcing college students to head to Orlando if they want to compete in Indoor Percussion.

I am also surprised there isn’t much on the Southeast Georgia as well, as Brunswick & Savannah are popular towns, with zero opportunity for college students to even have a group to compete in. There are talented musicians at College of Coastal Georgia, Georgia Southern University, and at Savannah State University, but zero indoor opportunities (unless they want to drive to Charleston, SC, but that’s far).

Anyone have any advice or opinions on this? It makes me a little upset as people want to compete in WGI but there aren’t enough opportunities for them to do so in college for those to do so.

Our season ended two weeks ago, and our school doesn't have indoor winds. Is there any other option?

Hey everyone! So I got kinda bored and decided to make to bunch of wallpapers based on y'alls requests again (sorta). So I did this with drum corps a while back and it was a lot of fun so I'm doing it again!

A few things. First of all, when requesting a show please put the group and the year, I don't know show names.(Please only do shows that are easily accessible online as well)

Second, I am not as familiar with WGI shows and I will likely have to be watching many of these shows for the first time before making the wallpaper so sorry if the concept is off.

All the wallpapers can be found in the drive link below along with some wallpapers I've already made!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1u2eh_8ddv8YbaJkXH2Gh95bUOJYk3uN6?usp=drive_link

Thank you!

as we get going into the winterguard season i’m curious what groups you are excited to see perform in IO and IW that made finals last year! Me personally, i’m so excited to see La Voute!!

Bassett High School Winterguard 2002 Romeo and Juliet, before smart phones and uploading videos were a thing...please someone help me find this gem!

So I’m an eight grade saxophonist. Can I audition Valhalla winds next year or the year after? So my freshmen or sophomore year. I’ve heard you HAVE to be a senior and I’ve heard most people that are in Valhalla are seniors and idk which on is true.

Posted to a couple different subs.

Hello everyone. I tech at a high school and also am a recent engineering graduate. Our winter program is looking at having large boxes filled with LED strips as props in our winter show. There is a system already in place (although almost 10yrs old and dilapidated) and were looking at replacing it.

We would like to retrofit the old boxes with a new wireless transmitting system. The Idea is that we could program light sequences and color changes and have that controlled by midi input.

My question is, has anyone here done this and if so, how? Looking for a fairly prepackaged solution to maximize reliability and user friendliness. Please feel free to comment here or PM me.

Hey! I graduated in spring of 2022 and was very grateful to be given another chance to march with an indoor group this past season on bass drum. I hadn’t marched in the competitive scene high school so it was great to get back into it and now I’m hard set on marching the last few seasons I have remaining. I love the activity and have worked extremely hard this last summer to develop my hands and get contracted at a group this winter and am hoping to march with Blue Stars this summer.

Due to my age, I only have one more outdoor and two more indoor season left and I want to make the most of them since I took so much time off from marching. The only problem is I’m not sure how to finance all of this. I am a full time student and I work part time but I’m worried I still won’t make enough because due to the cost of rent and food in my area. I also know Blue Stars can have some pretty expensive fees as well as traveling for call backs and monthly rehearsals can also cost a lot.

Are there any suggestions for how I can make all these marching dreams possible?? I know this is a problem almost everyone in the activity faces, and I’m really curious how so many people find ways to make it work.

Hello!

I am a high school front ensemble instructor in the southeastern PA area. I've always had a difficult time really explaining and teaching the mechanical differences between a legato and piston stroke for front ensemble. I myself struggled with this a lot as a performer, and I didn't really understand this concept and start achieving it until my second year of performing with an independent ensemble.

I understand that a piston stroke is performed with high velocity, low tension, and the aim is the mallet head spends more like in the "up" position then down. I often tell my students to make sure that when they make contact with the keys, that they aim to play through their bars, through the resonators, and the sound should hit the floor underneath them. Piston strokes take more time to develop than legato strokes, understood, and it requires more muscle engagement. But when I do teach this concept to my students, then get the "velocity" and "speed" part down ~pretty well~ (Freshman struggle, but welcome to high school band), and my vets do a lot better with this concept, but they still feather tap their keys. It's a really ingrained habit in the school, and I'm struggling with how to get them to understand the concept of playing through the keys while maintaining the piston stroke.

Any and all teaching advice is so appreciated. Thank you!

So I recently aged out of DCI and have been missing the activity heavily. I always loved the visual side of DCI and found out that I potentially have 2-3 more eligible seasons in WGI cause i’m an April birthday. DCI is really my only experience with dance and visual arts, and I was a hornline member so I definitely do not have the dance skills that guard members do. I also play guitar semi-professionally, I consider it my main instrument. I am not sure how common guitar spots are in WGI, and tbh I don’t know too much about the activity in general and am looking to know more. I’m really open to any position but since I am not a percussionist, anything percussion would likely not happen. I’m also from the Cincinnati area so my dream would be to make Rhythm X, since I know some of the people there and it’s close. What are some things and tips I can do to help me try and get a spot? (Besides just practicing obviously)

So, I'm a sophomore in high school and a vibraphone in the marching band. I'm highly considering auditioning for a WGI indoor percussion group (I'm going to auditions for CapCity on Sunday and considering auditioning for Columbus Saints as well) and it's something I really wanna do. But I'm concerned about the amount of time I would have to commit to it if I do actually get in. I'm just curious if anyone could give me a perspective on what the time commitment looks like and how much of my free time I need to sacrifice for it.

hi- i wanted to spin open class independent this year— but am i too old?

i turn 24 december 2024. does that mean i already aged out for this upcoming season?

For years, and years, and years I've searched for a DVD of 2012 WGI Finals. It was my senior year and I always regret not buying the DVD. I was so desperate I was willing to shell out big only to find that because of rights, it's not for purchase, or even posted anywhere. Can someone please hook me up?? I'm literally missing my senior performance because of rights issues and I'd love to have it back.

I think it's from the Up Front book by Jim Casella. I don't want to rebuy the whole book just for one exercise. lol

I need some feedback from anyone who has worked with or performed with Onyx. Everything I can find shows the program to be a great opportunity, despite only hearing STRONGLY NEGATIVE warnings from our local program regarding their organization. Literally telling my child that they will break his spirit and destroy his love for gaurd. I take this far to seriously to rely on the words of few, but can’t find a lot of opinions on the dynamic of the team and staff or over atmosphere that’s cultivated. If feels as though my child is being manipulated by his current leadership in attempt to not loose him. Telling us he’s the backbone of his program and onyx will make him hate himself and the sport.

Does this have any validity to it? Or is this simply the opinions of a few who possibly weren’t good enough and projecting their exaggerated experience? I’m truly over our current program and the consistent railroading and gaslighting drama I’ve watching growing worse and worse each year.

I don’t need outside opinions but first hand experience. This isn’t a hobby for him. This is about the trajectory he wants his life to go far past what he’s locally receiving. My heart is breaking but not wanting to make a decision without accurate information.

Thank you kindly.

im a snare player at my highschool and im really interested in doing wgi this winter, but i dont feel like my skills are refined enough to make a wgi line on a flat drum yet. How hard is it to march bass or cymbals with no prior experience to the instrument but with a great knowledge of technique and rhythm? And should i be doing cymbals or bass? or is it smarter to take another year off to practice again.

other than Fantasia 2003 and Northmont 1997 what are some good shows that use metal music? preferably more like Fantasia where the subculture has to do with the actual theme

I have a vivid memory of an indoor show that had a sample of a very robot voice that sang something along the lines of "why, are, we, here" (I put the comas because it says it sort of spaced out.) I'm not 100% sure if those are the exact words but I believe they are. The show gives off mcm or gmu vibes I believe, but im not sure if those groups did a show with that sample. I also remember the word "why" repeating. Maybe I'm hallucinating all of this, but it would be really cool to find this show. Please help!!!!

Hello everyone. I am about to start college at CSU Fort Collins and I want to find an indoor percussion group to join while I’m up there. My goal is to join either Blue Knights Open or The Forge (Rise’s Open) on bassline or visual. I know that generally practices are on Sundays from 8-8, with competitions on Saturdays at varying times. At the moment, I do not have a car, so I would be taking the bus and/or ubering to and from each practice and competition. I really love percussion and marching indoor, but I don’t know if I would be putting too much on my plate. To those of you that have done it or something similar, please offer your advice.

Does anyone know the Puma shoes that a bunch of groups have been using?

Hi i have been on the hunt for this pin its WGASC but i figure di would try my luck. I am willing to pay for it.

I’m looking for marian catholic 2012 show, “pompeii awakened” finals performance. i loved performing this show and could never find it anywhere. please and thank youuuuu *edit, i complete blanked on the show name originally and just remembered the song. actual show name posted

My girlfriend was trying to describe a guard show to me, but neither of us can find a video for the life of us. She’s pretty confident that it’s a worlds guard, and from a pretty recent year. From what she can remember, the plot was something about a corrupt preacher. The props included brown church pews and a large cross. The costumes were brown with black hats, and a soloist was wearing a preachers outfit. Does anyone know what this show was called, and if there’s still a video link? Thank you!