Inclusion of Electronic Instruments in Shows Requires Planning

Modern marching band instrumentation hardly resembles the mainly brass and drums of the 1980s. Nor does it look much like the holiday parades in which high school bands had everyone marching except the bassoon player.

Not only have a variety of electronic instruments become part of many marching band arrangements and half-time shows, but sound amplification for many of the instruments has put a premium on the technical expertise of the band director.

As with all technology items these days, the opportunity to overspend is always a possibility, so the first step should be an examination of what electronics would provide an opportunity for more students to participate (through the inclusion of additional instrumentation) and an improvement in the quality of the performance and presentation of your music.

The inclusion of instruments that require electricity thus requires some planning for your presentations. Some considerations are whether the instrument needs to be able to move positions during the show or actually march along on the street (or track). This requires power from a battery (or set of batteries) or a generator that can move with the instrument.

The advancements in battery technology means that more and more electronics can be powered for longer periods of time from rechargeable and portable units. Amplifiers for guitars, electric basses, electric strings (violins primarily), and vocals are all now available in battery-powered versions, either by internal or external power supplies. If your school band has a bass player, having that person march with the band can add much to your performances. Likewise, programming a tune that features a vocalist for that half-time show where the singer has the ability to be mobile or a part of your formation can prove to be the highlight of any set.

Such inclusion is relatively straightforward and often uses some of the gear that is already available allowing those instruments to be included in band rehearsals and in-door performances. Sound amplification on the field or street is far more complicated and requires an investment in equipment that may be a part of a school’s PA or auditorium hardware, but likely cannot be easily repurposed for marching band use. And the opportunity to invest a significant portion of the budget is always present when dealing with microphones, cables, mixers, amplifiers, speakers and computer software. As with most technology, keeping it simple not only means lower costs, but a higher level of success in all situations or conditions.

First, decide which acoustic instruments in your formation need sound amplification. Consider where they are in your formation and whether they need to be mobile during your show. Some will need a microphone placed under or in front while others may be able to use a pickup or attached microphone. Every mic you use will need either a cable or a wireless transmitter to send the sound to an amp of some kind, which is then connected to a speaker (builtin or cabled). Those signals then need to be amplified and projected, and if supporting multiple instruments, they need to be mixed as well. A mixer requires an operator, and it needs to be located where the sound being reinforced is clearly heard as the audience would hear it to be able to make the appropriate adjustments. More gear, more cables, more distances between devices.

While having several sets of large speakers around the field projecting the mixed sound from the variety of instruments works in very large formations where the supported instruments are not mobile, in smaller setups, having individually powered speakers associated with each instrument or group of instruments keeps the cost and complexity down, and increases the reliability.

Yamaha, Bose, Technic, Altas and others all make very durable units that are strong enough for the purpose, weather-resistant, and can accept multiple inputs from different sources using different cabling. A powered speaker attached to the carriage for your melodic percussion or electronic keyboard means you can have the mic or pickups already connected and you only have to run electricity to it to be ready to go. Similarly, a rack with several powered speakers (or an amp and dependent speakers) can be placed so that your mic cables can quickly be connected properly once power is made available. Such racks are available commercially or can be made by your booster club or school maintenance department.

Having the ability to include a wide variety of electronic instruments to your shows and marching routines, along with being able to enhance the sound of some of your acoustic instruments makes sure your program remains inclusionary and musically strong. Finding ways to make every instrument heard does not have to exceed your budget, but needs to be planned out with clear priorities in mind and an awareness of the goals. By focusing on the true need, considering what the options are, keeping it simple, and making the most of the resources available will make for a successful performance.