Marching University

If you do the best you can do, that is success.

Set this as your North Star as you start the 2023 season.

How are your systems?

Which one of the two groups...

..achieved more in their rehearsals? ✅

..had lower reported drama? 😡

..felt momentum after hitting their goals week after week? 🎯

..earned higher music, visual, and general effect scores? 🏆

..had more memorable performances? 👏🏻

..were more more proud of their last performance at the end of the season? 🤩

Ever heard the phrase "Just be confident"?

Usually, when giving this advice, the real word people are looking for is “courage”.

Courage is recognizing fear, danger, or discomfort and choosing to act anyway.

Courage is what is needed when walking into an arena where you feel the spotlight is on you and fear starts to creep in.

Confidence, on the other hand, is the natural feeling that comes as a result to having faith in ability.

That ability, or competence, comes from practice, repetition, and consistently putting in the work.

To put in the work, you have to get outside of your comfort zone and step out in courage.

No matter what arena we step into in life, whether we are performing on a football field or speaking behind a podium, true confidence is achievable.

There’s no shortcut to true confidence.

But the path is simple. And it starts with the antidote to fear: Courage

❤️ Fall in love with The Process ❤️

I wrote you a little poem as a valentine to you:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Enjoy the journey
Then soak in the view

♺ This day is typically associated with love and relationships, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on another kind of love – the love we have for “the process.”

😥 Whether we're pursuing a personal or professional goal, the process can be long, difficult, and full of challenges.

📈 But it's also where we learn and grow the most.

⭐️ By embracing the process, we develop resilience, grit, and a sense of accomplishment that can't be replicated by quick fixes or shortcuts.

🚗 The destination feels entirely different without an appreciation for what got us there, and who was with us along the way.

⏰ We spend most of the marching season in practice, rehearsal, or individual improvement, so it is vital that we learn to love and value our time there.

❤️ This Valentine's Day, I encourage you to fall in love with this process.

👊 Enough with the metaphors and cliches: here is a tangible application of “the process” for you.

♵ Here at Marching University, we implement a three-step feedback loop, sure to improve the rhythm and direction of your rehearsal.

🔄 It is scientifically shown that a routine like this is great for the individual and the group to progress.

📣 Give clear instructions, have an intention to the rep, and give simple, clear, and concise, feedback. Then repeat.

📈 Keeping this routine is a foolproof way of finding both small and big-picture tweaks and corrections to the individual and group, and as it becomes habit, the good results will compound.

✅ Knowing precisely how you will approach your rehearsals will not only benefit you but your students too.

♽ They will know what to expect, and they will, in turn, fall in love with “the process.”

🛠 We can get into the weeds with more details of instruction, repetition, and feedback…but for now, we think you’ve got just the tools you need to get started.

Remember:
1. INSTRUCTION ➡️ 2. REPETITION ➡️ 3. FEEDBACK 🔄 (Repeat)

❤️ Happy Valentine's Day!

The day has come for the biggest sale of the year!

I believe to my core that Marching Movement Accelerator is the resource you need to take your band, specifically your visual program, to the next level.

If you are tired of having your band be held back by poor visual scores, then I would strongly encourage you to allow us to help you.

Get 50% off Marching Movement Accelerator today! Offer expires at midnight EST tonight.

“But Clark, I am ready to purchase but my school handles these kind of products with Purchase Orders.”

No problem. Just shoot us a DM and we will get you set up.

Link in bio to learn more

Don’t let this be you! 🤦🏼‍♂️

Save yourself the trouble and use our free masterclass to avoid getting slapped in the face by trying to run your band camp without a plan.

https://www.marchingu.com/marching-movement-masterclass-free

[GIVEAWAY] 🎁 To celebrate March Madness and the start of the NCAA Basketball tournament, we’re giving away THREE completely free lifetime memberships to our flagship course, Marching Movement Accelerator in our own edition of…March(ing) Madness.⁠
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We’ll choose the three winners in 5 DAYS. So you’ve got 5 days to enter to win - the sooner you enter the better!⁠
⁠
And yes…this is lifetime access to the full $997 course.⁠
⁠
We’re eternally grateful for our entire community’s support and want to give back.⁠
⁠
We also know there are so many of you who have been wanting to join the full course, but for one reason or another haven’t been able to make the jump.⁠
⁠
Here’s your shot!⁠
⁠
You can enter by going to the link below and filling out the quick 5-question survey!⁠
⁠
Winners will be announced Monday, March 21⁠

https://www.marchingu.com/marching-madness-giveaway/

Going into any rehearsal without a plan is a recipe for disaster and the perfect way to stunt the growth of your program.

Plan your work. Work your plan.

Happy Marching Music day! If you are like us, you are thankful that there is a whole entire day dedicated as a holiday for marching band. Our lives were enriched by marching band which is why we make it our mission to enrich others’ lives who are in marching band.

One of the best ways that we can enrich the lives of others is to address their pain points and frustrations of those who lead and instruct. That’s why we offer solutions to those problems. Our flagship course, Marching Movement Accelerator, relieves some of the anxiety around leading a rehearsal and helps
to eliminate the frustration around not knowing how to teach the “visual“ side of marching band.

MMA helps give you that confidence that you’ve been looking for so that you can, in turn, enrich the lives of your students.

If you want to grab 34% OFF MMA, hurry, because the “March Forth” sale ends tonight at midnight. Link in bio before it ends!

If you would like to enrich our lives, share this with a friend who may be interested in MMA.

Keep Marching Forth.

Make it a goal this week to try one new rehearsal tactic to help improve your ensemble.

What can you adjust to just get 1% better tomorrow?

Comment below what you plan to do! 👇🏻

We’ve heard that marching band can be more mentally taxing than physically taxing at times. But make no mistake about it, marching band is physical. Very physical.

The more in shape we are next season, the easier it will be to be successful.

Take a look at John Wooden’s third level in the Pyramid of Success. Condition and skill aid each other. It doesn’t matter how great of a trumpet player you are if you are out of breath from marching or dancing for a minute and a half. On the other hand, it doesn’t matter how in shape you are if you can’t contribute musically (wind, percussion, or guard skills)

Great ex*****on relies on good condition so do yourself AND your fellow bandmate a favor and improve your strength and cardiovascular endurance.

Original tweet by

Check out our friends over there for a lot of great content on getting in shape this offseason.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭.

That includes doing what the rest won't when it comes to planning your program's marching band show.

Swipe through to see the importance of setting your design schedule now!

Raise your hand if you forget what you had for dinner last night? 🙋🏼‍♂️

Same here. So why do we think we’ll remember things we struggled with last marching band season once the summer rolls around.

While the past season is somewhat fresh, write down what happened this season.

✅ What did the group do well?
✅ What did the group not do well that could be improved?
✅ Personally, what could band director do well?
✅ What did you not do well?

✍️ Write down all the struggles and weaknesses.

Finding out what is holding the group back is more important than focusing on amplifying the strengths.

If you don’t remember what you struggled with last year, you won’t be successful at improving in that area.

If you do the same thing you’ve always done, your gonna get what you’ve always gotten.

Let’s see it - comment below one thing you want to improve next season! 👀👇🏻

The first full week of 2022 has come to an end and week #2 is underway. Now, we're not here to shame you or guilt you if you've already given up on your New Year's resolutions or if you haven't even set any. Nobody deserves to have a finger wagged in their face.

What we are here to share is that it's not too late to change the trajectory of 2022. It's not too late to cast a vision of what you want to accomplish this year.

Proverbs says where there is no vision, the people perish.

The time is now to set a vision for your band program. Where do you want it to go in 2022? What do you want to accomplish?

Is it awards and accolades? Is it growth in membership? Is it fundraising?

You have to know where you're going in order to then plot out how to get there.

Now is the time. It's not too late to change the trajectory of your program in 2022.

⬇️Comment below one thing you want your band program to accomplish this year!

Band directors - it's Black Friday time! 🛍 You know what that means...its time to treat yo’self!

It also means it's the best time of year to join Marching Movement Accelerator because it's...50% OFF

That's $500 in savings for the next 5 days only!

Link in bio to learn more.

Offer ends Monday, November 29, so don’t delay!

𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯 𝐄𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐮𝐩 💡

This quote is our motto. And is an ideal that is embodied in some of the most successful ensembles that have ever stepped foot on a football field.

It's so simple.

How you do anything is how you do everything sums up how we think marching bands or any organization or person should approach their life.

The way you practice is the way you perform. The way you care for your instrument says something about the amount of energy you put into practicing that instrument.

In other words, every detail matters. And not for the sake of nitpicking, but for the sake of putting effort into what you do...into the little things.

Because when the little things are taken care of, the big things just fall into place. The muscle memory is there.

The amount of attention you placed into shining your horn Saturday morning carries over and is a direct reflection in the amount of attention and effort you're going to put into your pre-performance warm-up that afternoon, and then that amount of energy and attention will carry over to the show that night.

How you do anything is how you do everything.

Remember that.

𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬!

If you want lasting positive change in your band program, you have to bring in team players that not only care about the program itself, but the lifeblood of your program which is your students.

Anyone can get better at teaching. That's where a program like "Marching Movement Accelerator" comes in - we created an entire course around how to teach marching band better.

What can't always be taught are things like humility, passion, and interpersonal smarts that allow someone to be an ideal team player.

For more on this concept, check out Patrick Lencioni's book "The Ideal Team Player".

𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐒! We're giving away the solutions to overcoming the Top 3 challenges we see holding back your marching band.

Join us this Sunday, April 25 at 3PM or 6PM Eastern for a FREE online training where we'll reveal:

✅ How to Take Back Your Time to Invest it into Your Program
✅ How to Choose & Educate a Quality Staff
✅ How to Unify that Staff to Work with You, Not Against You

At the end, you'll even get an exclusive, limited-time discount on our brand-new course, Marching Movement Accelerator!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝟓𝟎 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝟓𝟎% 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬.

We promise it will not be an hour-long sales pitch - this FREE training is about 20 minutes long and is packed with valuable information for Band Directors just like YOU!

Click here to sign up: https://bit.ly/marchingu-register

We'll see you on Sunday!

𝐏𝐒: 𝐂𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲? Don't worry, we'll send you the replay AND the early bird discount code afterward. But you have to be registered in order to get it, so don't miss out!

When you give on-field feedback to a student...

It's easier for students to make fixes when they're given a sensation to replicate, instead of a basic comment or correction.

For example...

"Get your legs straighter" can translate to "Feel your quads engaged"

"Look taller" can translate to "Feel like you're scraping your head on a low ceiling"

"Relax your shoulders" can translate to "Increase the distance between your ears and shoulders"

"Look more confident" can translate to "Feel yourself take up more space around you"

"Your feet are out of time" can translate to "Feel your feet participate with the tempo"

Give it a try!

Comment below a sensation you can share with a student to help them improve their marching technique.

Stop making marching band complicated because...

IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE! 🚀

For example...

When first teaching the forwards march, don't feel the need to break down each subdivided checkpoint.

No student needs to know where their left ankle should be on the "a" of count 3 literally ever.

Instead, we suggest you relate the mechanics to something they already know how to do and have been doing their whole life, which is...

WALKING!

The forwards march is basically just a stylized walk in time.

Start with the basics and the rest will begin to fall into place much easier.

Now you try!

Comment below how you can simplify a complicated topic in order to help convey it more clearly to your students.

If you want to MARCH BETTER...

then learn to BE A DUCK!

Because ducks are built for marching band. Think we're crazy? Read on.

What do you think about or feel when you see a duck floating on a pond?

Probably something like...

Calm, Peace, Elegance, Gentle, Effortless, Floating, Serene.

Well...

Underwater is not so calm or effortless, but you would never know it because of how they separate their upper & lower body.

And that's exactly how you should march.

Next time you're marching...

1️⃣ Pay attention to the separation between your upper & lower body
2️⃣ Feel the sensation of scraping your head on a low ceiling as you move across the field
3️⃣ Think about looking like a duck gliding on a still pond

Did you learn something?

Share with 1 person in your band or section that would enjoy learn something too.

How to Start Building Culture in Your Band using the Snowball Effect

It's really simple and free - are you ready?

CALL ALL OF YOUR STUDENTS BY NAME BECAUSE...

when THEY KNOW that YOU KNOW their name, guess what starts to grow?

CULTURE...like a snowball rolling down a mountain!

Here's how...

Respect for you, as a leader, grows...causing them to want to listen to you more which leads to...them taking what you say to heart causing...individual improvement to SKYROCKET when students BUY-IN to what THEIR LEADER teaches.

"If you get the culture right, most of the other stuff will just take care of itself."
- Tony Hseih, former CEO of Zappos*

*Known for having one of the best company cultures in the country, if not the world.

𝐍𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 🙅

Napoleon Hill knew what he was talking about when he wrote those words.

A contractor would never build a house without a blueprint.

An astronaut would never go to space without countless checklists.

An explorer would never leave their house without a map.

Why would leading a marching band rehearsal be any different?

Make a plan for every rehearsal.

Ask yourself
- Where are we?
- Where are we going?
- How do we get there?
- What can we realistically accomplish today?

Then go work your plan.

Share this with someone you think will enjoy it!