The “How To” Series is a brand new collection of online design courses for Marching Band. We will offer courses in Music Design, Visual Design, Color Guard Design, and Percussion Design that will be taught by some of the top experts in their fields. We will also offer a comprehensive online course in Student Leadership for both current and future Drum Majors, Section Leaders and Captains.
Currently Available
Essential Skills for Drum Majors
For 25 years, Pacific Crest Youth Arts has been educating students in the pageantry arts, creating tomorrow’s leaders today. We have brought together experts in music education and leadership who will prepare you for your role as a high school drum major. You will discover your leadership style, how to best work with your leadership teams and instructional staff as well as conducting skills. From activities and videos, to quizzes and games, you will gain all the knowledge you need to become a successful drum major. Read more.
Delivering the Goods
This course designed to help those performers that are searching for a way to consistently perform at their best AND enjoy the experience.
Leadership: Audition Strategies and Interview Techniques
This course is designed to help students prepare for the leadership audition process and the expectations of choosing to become a leader.
The course begins with a look at people who are great leaders in America and the different types of leadership roles that exist. From there, it explores what qualities are needed to become a strong leader and an examination of the student’s own strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Read more.
Student Leadership for Marching Band- Level 100
Level 100, The Emerging Leader will take students through the fundamentals of becoming a strong and effective leader. They will be introduced to the qualities a leader must possess and examples of specific leaders who exemplify these traits. They will explore different types of leadership styles and will identify their own style. The Great Communicator section will help students improve their communication skills and discover the uses and pitfalls of social media. They will then learn motivational techniques as well as how to organize an effective sectional. Read more.
Percussion Design for Marching Band- Lesson 100
Percussion Design for Marching Band is presented by Remo Artist, Bret Kuhn. In this course you will develop a fundamental understanding of your ensemble and skills. You will explore the fundamentals of Snare, Tenor, Bass Drum, Timpani, Keyboard, and Cymbals. You will learn how to set up the equipment and the basics of tuning. Finally, you will look at the auditions process for your ensemble.
Percussion Design for Marching Band- Level 200
Percussion Design for Marching Band is presented by Remo Artist, Bret Kuhn. In this course you will develop a deeper understanding of your ensemble and skills they need. You will be given fundamental exercises to use with your students, a tour of the front ensemble, and samples of band and percussion instrumentation. In the final sections you will dive inside the music with arranging tips and how to correct problems and issues with arrangements.
Music Design for Marching Band – Level 100
This course is designed for the director that is using pre-arranged or composed music or a complete show design package and how to turn it into a successful show. Composer/Arranger Key Poulan guides you through the process of understanding the needs of your students and how to select music that is the perfect fit for them. The course will then guide you through the process of taking the music and developing a championship show.
Visual Design for Marching Band- Level 100
World class artist and designer, Michael Gray will take you through the process of designing a successful visual package for your marching band. This 3 part series will explore the key components necessary to develop, design, and implement a strong show concept for your program. From the basics of design to exploring advances practices, these courses will elevate your visual program to the next level and set you up for growth and success in the future. Level 100 includes: Read more.
Judging 101 – The Basics
In this level you will develop a fundamental understanding of the role, ethics, and professional expectations of the judge, along with the judging process as a whole, and the basic skills required. The Basic tools for recognition, comparison and scoring will be introduced. You will practice observing differences and making comparisons, ranking and spreading. A final examination will confirm your readiness for the next level of study. Read more.
Coming Soon
Color Guard Design for Marching Band will be presented by World Class Designer Danny Wiles. This course is designed for the new guard director or someone in their first few years of teaching. The course is broken into 4 sections to help guide the director through all the basics of managing a color guard program and designing the field show. Focus is placed on understanding the strengths and weaknesses as well as setting long and short term goals for your program.