An introduction from Dr. T André Feagin, DCI alumnus:
Black Lives Matter.
We mourn the loss of George Floyd, and countless other African Americans. They are victims of a deep rooted culture of racism and fear. Frustration and anger has boiled over into the streets, and our country is divided.
Musicians have long been messengers of hope. We’ve brought light to causes. We’ve written anthems to inspire. We’ve also shown that where words fail, music speaks.
In the marching arts, we value the inclusion of all people. We cannot stand idly by, and watch the continued oppression of an entire race of people. We know that our students have the power to deliver the necessary message in a beautiful and creative way.
We invite you to join us in this message of unification and hope. We ask you to pick up your instrument and use it to shine a light on these dark times. We ask you to use your gifts to speak to all that will hear.
Black Lives Matter. Most Definitely.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” MLK
We mourn the loss of George Floyd, and countless other African Americans. They are victims of a deep rooted culture of racism and fear. Frustration and anger has boiled over into the streets, and our country is divided.
Musicians have long been messengers of hope. We’ve brought light to causes. We’ve written anthems to inspire. We’ve also shown that where words fail, music speaks.
In the marching arts, we value the inclusion of all people. We cannot stand idly by, and watch the continued oppression of an entire race of people. We know that our students have the power to deliver the necessary message in a beautiful and creative way.
We invite you to join us in this message of unification and hope. We ask you to pick up your instrument and use it to shine a light on these dark times. We ask you to use your gifts to speak to all that will hear.
Black Lives Matter. Most Definitely.
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” MLK
Below are the materials you will need to record.
Be sure to take time to rehearse your part in order to perform it at a very, very high level. The comforting nature of DCI-level brass players is their attention to detail; we're counting on you to hold true to that in order to give us great audio to include with the video. For those in sections that may lend themselves to "extensions" (Trumpet 1 or Tuba), please only play the material provided on the page.
Download the PDF file for the part for which you are assigned in your regular hornline. Practice the part and also be familiar with the MP3 Click Track. The click track is giving you the 8th note subdivision to provide additional help with tempo maintenance. You should also note that the track, while it might be possible to interpret with some level of Swing, should be played straight.
When you record your final video submission, you should allow the entire click track to play: do not skip ahead and do not edit your video down. Submit a video that includes the entire click track duration for consistency's sake.
Please have your video submitted by the end of the day, Thursday, June 4. The submission link is below.
Be sure to take time to rehearse your part in order to perform it at a very, very high level. The comforting nature of DCI-level brass players is their attention to detail; we're counting on you to hold true to that in order to give us great audio to include with the video. For those in sections that may lend themselves to "extensions" (Trumpet 1 or Tuba), please only play the material provided on the page.
Download the PDF file for the part for which you are assigned in your regular hornline. Practice the part and also be familiar with the MP3 Click Track. The click track is giving you the 8th note subdivision to provide additional help with tempo maintenance. You should also note that the track, while it might be possible to interpret with some level of Swing, should be played straight.
When you record your final video submission, you should allow the entire click track to play: do not skip ahead and do not edit your video down. Submit a video that includes the entire click track duration for consistency's sake.
Please have your video submitted by the end of the day, Thursday, June 4. The submission link is below.
| Full Score |
Some recording tips:
This information comes from Erik Kosman, an expert on using live audio and amplification with bands:
- Videos should be recorded with as little (or zero) background noise and, as possible, with a high-quality microphone. Any videos that have an excess of white noise may have their volume reduced or muted for clarity of the overall piece. The click track absolutely should not be audible.
- You should record your video in an acoustically "dead" space: as little echo/reverb as possible.
- Videos should be recorded in "landscape" orientation to allow for consistency in layout in the final product. The video should be recorded in one, continuous, unedited take, for the entire duration of the click track
- You should play the same part which you're assigned for regular material with your hornline.
- If playing on a bell-front brass instrument, do not aim the bell directly at the microphone, but about 45° to the side.
- Your video needs to be in a standard video format: M4V, MP4, or MOV. Non-standard formats (WMV, WebM, etc.) will not be accepted.
- When you record, you should use headphones or earbuds. Keep on ear open to be able to listen to your instrument while the other ear is able to listen to the "ensemble" in the recording.
This information comes from Erik Kosman, an expert on using live audio and amplification with bands:
- Tip for folks having private lessons/video assignments, if you're using a phone/tablet/something without gain (not volume) control, prioritize the placement of the device for SOUND not VIDEO.
- More times than not (especially brass and percussion) the best camera shot will lead to your mic clipping and distorting the sound. Having it on your music stand is convenient, but will probably lead to distorted audio. Try to have your device far away, and off axis of your instrument.
- A higher angle is probably the best of both worlds. If you can get the device up high, you'll be able to see the performer in the shot, but the instrument will be off axis.
Prior to uploading your file, please edit the filename in this format:
[First Name] [Last Name] - [Organization Name] - [Part Assignment]
In order to compile the video in a timely manner, we are requesting all video submissions are received midnight at the end of the day, Thursday, June 4. We understand that it is not a lot of time, but it is important to be able to turn things around quickly.
[First Name] [Last Name] - [Organization Name] - [Part Assignment]
In order to compile the video in a timely manner, we are requesting all video submissions are received midnight at the end of the day, Thursday, June 4. We understand that it is not a lot of time, but it is important to be able to turn things around quickly.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us: