For something that’s supposed to be so uniform and regimented, marching band always brings up memories of chaos for me.

Whether it was trying to get into uniform on a moving bus with 40 other people because we were late to a competition, getting dressed AND warming up because we were so late that as to miss our prep time, or just changing drill sets an hour or two before a performance. It always seemed that time was the enemy and we were always just on the cusp of being finished… but never quite getting there comfortably. Don’t get me wrong, it was a blast and I wouldn’t change anything – but it did teach me something about not fearing chaos.

One drill that we used in college that I’ve rehashed in my head over and over was doing the show off the line – in other words, take the entire band (which has just gotten to the field) and tell them get your horn out, warm up to a minute, and then do the show form the beginning without any long prep. You have to practice how you’ll perform and sometimes, performances don’t take place under ideal circumstances.

All of which leads me to something that Sam, the guitar player for my band, came across and shared on Facebook – Practicing vs. Playing Live (from Guitar Player). It’s a short read, so I won’t bother quoting anything – it’s worth the 3 minutes of your time, whether you apply it to music or not.

Don’t fear chaos – accept it, prepare for it, and use it to your advantage.